Eclipse the new version
by Screw Prince Charming
Summary: After my alternate ending to New Moon, my friends asked me to write a new version of Eclipse. This will be a full novel and it will be an amazing read.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN THE TWILIGHT SERIES NO MATTER HOW MUCH I WISH I DID

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN THE TWILIGHT SERIES NO MATTER HOW MUCH I WISH I DID.**

**Quick Notes: 1. I still have school so this is going to take me FOREVER to finish.**

**2. This is a continuation of "In From the Rain" so you might want to read that first.**

**3. This is dedicated to my friends Katie T. and Rosa M. because they wouldn't leave me alone 'til I wrote more. (With friends like these…)**

**ECLIPSE**

**Chapter 1: **

This morning I was frantic. Today was day that the Cullen's officially returned to Forks. (Edward had actually come back two days ago, but only I knew that). Edward was going to come to my house in a few hours and basically beg my father for permission to see me. This did NOT bode well.

I knew that I had no reason to panic. Alice had foreseen how this would go down and she had called and given me lines just in case my mind went blank. I really doubted I'd need them. When Edward came up, I just had to look dumb-struck and make sure it looked like I really had to think it through before I took Edward back. Simple…right?

To keep myself busy I'd fussed over my outfit and hair for almost an hour until it looked so perfect that even I couldn't find a way to make it look any better. I wore a low cut, ¾ length shirt in baby blue with a simple pair of jeans. My hair was perfectly straight and I'd made a cool swish style with it that was held in place with bobby pins (like Donna on that '70's show). Now I had nothing to do suppress my unrest. I was too nervous even to read. Where the hell was he?

No sooner did I think that than I heard the doorbell ring. I bolted to my bedroom door and opened it a crack so I could listen in. To avoid making noise, I sat down beside my door and tried to calm the rampant beating of my heart. Charlie opened the door.

"You sure got some nerve, showing up here." I could hear the rage in Charlie's voice.

"Yes, I realize that, sir. May I come in?" Edward said calmly.

"If you're here to see Bella, forget it, you ass. Not after the hell you put her through." I gasped. I'd _never_ heard my dad use that kind of language.

"Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. May I come in?" His velvety voice rang with remorse and sincerity. There was no way that my father could say no to that voice.

I was right. I heard Charlie move aside to let Edward in and then lead him to the living room. I could no longer listen from the door, but the house was poorly installed, so I moved to the center of my room and laid my ear against the floor. I could now hear every word clear as a bell.

"Well, I'm listening." Charlie said skeptically.

"Sir, leaving Bella was the biggest mistake I could ever make. She was, and is everything to me. When I told her goodbye, I died inside. I couldn't function or do anything. The whole time that my family was in L.A I was basically curled up in a ball of misery and I refused to leave my room for any reason whatsoever. Eventually my family couldn't stand seeing me like that and, well… here I am. So now I implore your permission to see Bella." Edward's voice was filled with sorrow as he said this. His speech was short, but it still meant so much. I could feel myself on the edge of tears, but this was NOT the time to lose it.

Charlie was quiet for a very long time. He sighed in defeat. "She's upstairs in her room." He said finally. "If you want to see her, I can't stop you, but if you hurt her ever again… you're going to curse the day that you ever met me." I didn't recognize the emotion in Charlie's voice, but I knew that the last part was a genuine threat.

I smiled as I jumped up and rushed to sit at my desk before Edward and Charlie got up here. I had to look like I was busy doing something aside from listening to my dad threaten my boyfriend in the living room. So I grabbed my collection of Jane Austen novels and flipped open to Mansfield Park and started reading. I tried and eventually succeeded at turning my grin into a hard line of concentration. When I heard my door open, I didn't turn around. Only when Charlie knocked on my now open door did I turn my head with a small smile on my face.

When I saw Edward standing there with Charlie behind him my smile faded into a look of dumbfoundedness, as Alice's script had called for me to. I turned my whole body to face them in my chair. Edward's face looked sad and remorseful, but his eyes were laughing and I could tell that he was fighting a smile as I was.

"Bella..." he began, "I'm so sorry. I know that I owe you much more than an apology, but I don't know really where to start."

I stood so I didn't have to crane my neck to make eye contact with him. "You can start by telling me why you're here." I prompted.

"I'm here because I couldn't bear to be away from you for another minute. I'm here because my family didn't want to see me be miserable when we were in Los Angeles. I'm here, Bella, because I love you and I want you to take me back, even though I know you have no reason to do so." He said with sincerity ringing in every word. I could feel myself starting to cry and I fought to keep the tears in. I succeeded.

I stared at the ground for a long moment to "deliberate". I was fighting the urge to yell for joy now that my father had actually agreed to let Edward see me and we could be together again. I tore my gaze from the floor and looked into Edward's eyes. The thought of me ever doubting his love for me seemed silly now.

"Yes." I told him and took a step closer, "Yes."

Edward smiled as he picked me up in his arms and swung me around in a circle. I laughed in sheer bliss and for the first time in months, it sounded right. When he set me back on my feet, I turned to Charlie. He had small smile on his face and nodded once before he left, leaving me and Edward alone.

"We did it." Edward whispered as he pulled me into his tight embrace.

"We did it." I echoed back.

And we had. My father was not only letting me see Edward, but he was actually okay with it! Now it felt like nothing could stop us from being together.

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Nothing, Bella? Well, you clearly have forgotten a certain jealous werewolf and a certain red-haired vampire. There's more than one way for Victoria to tear our lovers apart (cough) the Volturri (cough). And Jacob would do anything to keep Bella with him (cough) try to kill Edward in a kick-ass fight scene (cough).

This is going to be fun.

Please review. If I get some awesome reviews, I'll post them before the next chapter. Who knows, it could be you.

Who needs Prince Charming when there are men like Edward Cullen? (Screw Jacob too)


	2. Chapter 2

Eclipse Chapter 2:

**Disclaimer: I'm not sure if I own Twilight or not, let me check…Nope, I don't.**

**Note: This chapter is dedicated to StalkerishEmmettFan. She was the ONLY person polite enough to review. So, this is for you! (P.S. **_**Cold **_**was awesome!)**

Eclipse Chapter 2:

As Edward held me close, I heard a knock on the door. Edward went rigid. I tried to pull back and see what was wrong, but he wouldn't let go of me. Apparently whoever it was, Edward didn't want me to open the door. But, I didn't have to as Charlie got it instead.

"Oh, hello Jake." I heard my dad say from downstairs. I instantly stiffened. Why was he here? Was something wrong? How would he react when he found out that Edward was back? I started for my door and this time Edward let me go, but I could feel him standing right behind me as I headed for the stairs.

Only when I heard Jake and Charlie go into the living room did I head downstairs. I walked to the front door and faced Edward. He looked at me with blank confusion plastered on his face.

"I don't think that you should be here right now." I said, "Jake is strong, but I don't want to overestimate his self-control and I can't have him phasing in my house with my dad here."

"Phasing?" Edward asked with alarm. He stared into my eyes as he finally grasped the situation. He threw a quick look towards the living room before returning his gaze to me. He looked worried… and angry.

"It'll be fine so long as he doesn't see you." I assured him. He looked unconvinced, but moved to leave anyway. As he was almost out the door, he turned and caught my lips in a brief, but passion-filled kiss. Even in that small kiss, a year's worth of joy overflowed my heart. I don't think that I'll ever get adjusted to the way he kisses me.

"I'll be watching until the mutt leaves." Edward whispered. His voice was velvety, but I could detect a hint of menace behind the words. Then he disappeared into thin air like always. I made my way to the living room. Charlie sat on the edge of couch looking at Jacob who sat on the only chair, his form hunched over in sadness.

"Bella, there you are," Charlie said casually, "Where's Edward?" Jake's head instantly lifted to stare at me with a look of sheer disbelief that in half a second turned to a look of hatred and betrayal. I could feel my heart crashing in my chest as I looked into his dark eyes. Thankfully, Charlie's eyes were also on me so he missed Jake's sudden change of mood.

"Um- I sent him home." I said to both of them, "He still needs to unpack all of his things at home. In fact, I was planning to go over there later to help with that- if that's alright." The unpacking part was a complete lie, but I still wanted to go and see everyone. I had missed them all so much.

"Yeah that's fine." Charlie said, distracted, "Actually, Jake just came to deliver some unfortunate news." Okay, something was definitely wrong.

"What happened?" I asked, concerned.

"Harry Clearwater had a heart attack. He's dead." Jake stated. He spoke calmly, but there was an edge to his voice that cut me with every syllable.

"That's awful." I said, "How is Sue holding up?"

"She's sad, but she'll survive." Jake replied, then he turned his attentions to my dad, "The funeral is on Saturday." We all were still for a moment as the information sunk in. Poor Sue, poor Seth, poor Leah. I was lost in my own world when Jake suddenly stood up.

"Bella, may I have a word with you privately?" Jacob asked me formally. The sharp edge of his voice was still there. He walked towards the kitchen.

"Yes you may, Jacob." I replied just as formally as he passed me. We walked to the front of the house, leaving Charlie in the living room.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Jake whispered as soon as we were in the clear. The rage in his voice was no longer masked by politeness.

"What are you talking about?" I retorted.

"Don't tell me you took that son-of-a-bitch back, after everything he did to you?"

"Don't you _dare_ talk about Edward that way." I warned.

"I'll talk about that leech any way I want!" Jacob almost yelled. He paused. "Bella, he could kill you. Do you understand me, 'KILL you.' He's no good for you, Bella. Please, don't see him." He said more calmly. Despite his change of tone, I could feel the rage inside of me building. If Jake said **one more thing** about my boyfriend, I don't think that the anger would stay contained.

But he didn't stop. "Listen, I'm twice the man that he is. You don't have to settle for the parasite, you have options." He smiled and reached up to touch my face, but I pulled away. I wasn't about to take any more of his crap.

"THAT IS **IT**!" I screamed, "LEAVE ME ALONE, YOU JERK! **EDWARD IS A **_**THOUSAND**_** TIMES THE MAN YOU'LL EVER BE**! GET **OUT**!"

I spun on my heels and bolted up the stairs to my room. I slammed the door as hard as I could and locked it. Tears of rage spilled from my eyes as I sank unsteadily to the floor. I heard the front door slam, so I assumed that Jacob had left as well. Still, the anger did not cease. I grabbed the nearest object, which happened to be my copy of Wuthering Heights, and chucked it at the wall with probably enough force to dent it. I didn't hear it make impact.

"I realize that you're angry, but you're probably going to want this later." I looked up to see Edward standing in front of me with my book in his hands, a small smile on his angelic face.

"I can't believe he talked about you like that." My voice was barely above a whisper as he sat down beside me and wiped away my tears with his ice cold hand.

"Well, I earned it. It didn't bother me until he actually made a pass at you, but after seeing how you acted at that…" He trailed off and chuckled. I looked at him, annoyed.

"You're _actually_ amused by all of this?"

"No, just proud. I didn't know that you had that kind of response in you. I must be the luckiest man in the universe." He said, his love ringing in every word. I laid my head against Edward's chest as his arm wrapped around my waist. We remained quiet like this for a moment until he spoke again.

"I think you should go downstairs, Charlie needs you." He stated. I looked at his golden eyes for a moment before replying.

"What will you do while I'm with Charlie?"

"I'll still be here when you get back." He assured me, "But Harry's death is hard on Charlie and I think that he could use the company of his daughter right now." I nodded and left Edward in my bedroom as I headed downstairs.

Charlie was still sitting on the couch when I got to the living room. I doubt if he had moved since I'd last been in here. The Television wasn't on, but Charlie was still staring at it blankly. I sighed and sat down next to him on the sofa. I placed my head on his shoulder and prayed that that provided _some_ amount of comfort. As I sat there with Charlie, I wondered if that was what I had looked like after Edward had left me. It really didn't matter because no matter what, I was going to be there for Charlie.

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I had some trouble with ending this chapter, but I think I did a good job with it. But now Jacob is pissed, what do you think he's gonna do? What is Jacob Black capable of doing? You'll have to find out in later chapters because I'm too lazy to figure that out at this second. But I can tell you this, it's gonna be good!

P.S. I do realize that Jacob is a _little_ OOC. Okay, a _little_.


	3. Chapter 3

Eclipse Chapter 3:

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, I just kidnapped the characters.**

**Note: This chapter is dedicated to Lady Persephone who recommended that I use more detail. Thank you, you're right.**

**Emily Cullen, you're awesome, too. **

Eclipse Chapter 3:

Saturday came faster than I thought it would. Charlie went to the funeral while I stayed home. Edward had said it was okay with him if I wanted to go, but that wasn't the case. I wanted to go, but I didn't want to face Jacob and the other werewolves since I had probably already been branded a traitor. Charlie had asked me to go as it was only polite, so I decided to fake an illness (food poisoning from Alice's cooking). I'm sure that her cooking is extraordinary, but it was all I could come up with. When Charlie got home I cooked pork chops with a lettuce salad for dinner (comfort food). He seemed to like it, but he didn't make a sound as we ate. I'm sure he was still a little depressed from losing his friend, but he was getting better.

We both turned in early that night. I made my way to my bedroom and naturally, Edward was waiting for me. I walked in and turned on the light, only then did I see it. He was standing beside my bed looking distraught with a suitcase in his hands, _my_ suitcase.

"Edward" I said cautiously, "What the hell is going on."

"Bad news," he replied, "We have to leave. Now." He came towards me and grabbed my wrist before towing me to my window. I would have objected, but the hint of panic in his voice stopped me. He was _scared_. He picked me up in his arms and jumped to the ground. I didn't even notice when we landed as he was already running. He was tense as we flew past the trees in the direction of his home. I couldn't even guess what was wrong, but it had to be bad on a catastrophic level…he was acting like had when James had come to town.

When we arrived at the Cullen residence, he slowed to a walk. He put me back on the ground keeping his arm tightly around my waist as he half dragged me to the house. His pace was so fast I had to jog to keep up with him. We entered the living room to find the rest of the family waiting for us. Esme sat on the chair nearest the kitchen with Carlisle standing behind the chair. Esme looked at me, concerned, while Carlisle looked calculatingly at Edward. Alice sat on the other chair with Jasper next to her, sitting on the armrest. Emmett stood leaning against the corner, his arms crossed. Rosalie was the last one I looked at. She sat on the edge of sofa, her beautiful eyes filled with concern…for me. She didn't speak, but she was the only one who actually made eye contact with me. Surprising. Edward led me to the couch and we both sat, with me in the middle between him and Rosalie. The room was silent, deadly silent.

Alice stared blankly at the hardwood floor while Jasper stared at her, his arm wrapped tightly around her tiny shoulders. She was watching for some decision or another that apparently dealt with this situation that Edward hadn't told me anything about. She looked up.

"Well?" Edward asked her.

"I'm sorry," Alice began, "It's just too vague. I know that's she's going to see them, but I can't tell you how they'll respond, what they'll do…" her eyes flashed to my face for a second before returning to Edward, "until the decision has been made. There are a million different possible outcomes right now."

"About how long do we have until they come?" Carlisle asked.

"I don't know." She replied, "They may not come at all, but if they do…Well, we'd have about ten days." Edward shifted beside me. Apparently, that wasn't what he'd wanted to hear.

"Okay," Edward said slowly, "That gives us enough time to find someplace safe to hide and get there, and leave a good story for her dad so he won't get suspicious." He then turned his attentions to Carlisle, "Do you think we could leave a false trail?"

"Okay, hold on a second!" I said standing up, "Nobody has even told me what the hell is going on yet! What do you mean, "Someplace safe"? What's happened? Why are we running away? Who's after us?" Alice stared at Edward, dumbfounded.

"You _haven't_ told her yet? What, so you just showed up at her, grabbed her stuff, and kidnapped her?" Alice accused, disapproving.

"I had to get her out of there!" Edward explained defensively, "I had no idea if Victoria would show up and I wasn't about to take that kind of chance!"

"Victoria?!" I shrieked, whirling to stare at him, horror struck. I was terrified of the danger that had just resurfaced and I was angry as well. How could he not tell me the second that he'd found out? I saw Edward give Jasper a meaningful look and suddenly I felt waves of calm and security wash over me.

"Jasper, stop it!" I said forcefully as I turned to glare at him. He looked surprised at my reaction, but he stopped. I was once again able to feel what I felt and focus on the task at hand. I turned back to Edward.

"Now, what about Victoria?" I demanded, trying to keep my voice even. Edward looked down at his hands, now folded in his lap, and sighed as if in defeat.

"She's back." He said, returning his smoldering eyes to mine "She wants revenge. We knew that already, but we had no idea as to how she would go about doing it. Well, now we do. She's going to Italy, to go see the Volturi. She plans to tell them about you…She hopes that they'll kill you." He stopped, pained. His head dropped and I stood there, dumbstruck. Of course I remember hearing about the Volturi, but I'd never really _worried _about them, about what might do if they found out about me. I'd never even seen that possibility.

I had barely survived an attack by one vampire, and now I found myself up against an entire army of century-old vampire _royalty._ Even when compared to all the past incidents that had almost ended my life, my future had never looked bleaker. Because I knew that for the Volturi it wouldn't be enough for just me to be punished. No…all of the Cullen's lives' were in jeopardy now. I gazed around the living and found everyone (except Edward) looking at me. I could tell by seeing each of their faces that none of them, even Rosalie, would ever let anything happen to me.

I sat back unsteadily on the couch beside my Edward and took his hand in mine. His golden eyes stared intensely into my own and I tried to convey in the single look that I wouldn't let _anything_ steal me from him. I then turned my attentions to the entire group.

"So, what place did you have in mind?"

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Brooke: Whoa, so Bella's _actually_ going to go through with this? She'll just pack up and leave? Just like that? What about the Volturi? What are they going to do to Bella?

SPC: I have no idea.

Brooke: Liar!

SPC: You bet. Mwah ha ha.

Brooke:...O…K

SPC: I should really stop the evil laugh thing, huh?

Brooke: Yeah, that might be a good idea.

New chapter next week, folks. See ya then. By the way, I'm open to any suggestions as to where Bella and Edward should go (what they do has already been figured out, I just need a setting). I actually think that this was my best work yet.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: My name is not Stephenie Meyer, so I don't own Twilight

**Disclaimer: My name is not Stephenie Meyer, so I don't own Twilight.**

**Note: Nobody responded to my "Where should Bella and Edward go" question, so this is what you get. So (blows raspberry) on you.**

**This chapter is dedicated to NoMoreMarbles on YouTube who has kept me updated on Twilight News for…a very long time. Bailey, you're vamptastic.**

Eclipse chapter 4:

I looked around the circle of vampires, all deep in thought. They all stared at Edward while Edward stared at me. We had to figure out somewhere safe for me to hide _and_ make up a convincing story for my dad, all in ten days. I have no idea how we're going to make this work. Rosalie was the first to speak up.

"What about Paris?" she suggested in a small voice.

"No way," Edward responded instantly, "She doesn't speak the language and that just brings her closer to the Volturi, which kind of defeats the whole purpose."

"Phoenix." Jasper said, "Bella knows where everything is, so you can escape quickly if needed."

"It didn't work last time, I doubt that it'll work this time." I stated coldly. I didn't understand how he could even _consider_ Phoenix after what happened on my last visit. Edward shot him a death glare from where he sat beside me. Jasper looked down at the hardwood floor and didn't speak again.

"Let's try to think smaller." Carlisle said, distracted. It seemed as if he were weighing the pros and cons of every city in the world.

"How about Minneapolis?" Esme suggested, "It said on TV last week that it was the best city for couples just starting out."

"Yeah, but we've never been there before. What would we do if the Volturi tracked us there?" Edward replied.

"I've got it!" Alice screamed suddenly, jumping up. "I know the perfect place for you two to go!" She jumped up and down a few times and clapped her small hand together excitedly. Rosalie and I both looked at her as if she were insane, Jasper's eyes followed her jumping movements with a look of confusion, Carlisle and Esme both looked equally amused, and Emmett seemed to be on the edge of breaking out in hysterical laughter. Edward gave his crooked smile and nodded slowly in response to her thoughts.

"Alice, that's brilliant." Edward said gratefully as soon as she calmed down.

"What? What's brilliant?" Rosalie asked, looking between the two of them, obviously annoyed.

"Well," Alice explained, "What is the one city that Edward knows better than anyone where no one would ever think to look?" She looked at me: waiting for an answer, but I had absolutely no idea. "Chicago!" she yelled happily, throwing her arms out to either side.

"Chicago_ is_ a good idea," Carlisle broke in, "The Volturi know a lot, but where we grew up before we were changed is not one of them. And Edward, you pay a visit there every summer on your own anyway. It's perfect." He and Edward both seemed to be greatly uplifted by the idea.

Edward turned back to face me and took both my hands in his iron grasp. "So, do you want to go to Chicago?" He was leaving the final decision up to me; I could say no if I wanted to.

"Chicago sounds wonderful." I replied, a faint smile playing on my lips.

"It's settled then."- He turned back to Carlisle- "If we do everything correctly, I can have her out of here before the week is out. I'll tell her dad that we're going to check out colleges. I'm sure he'll be fine with it."

"He'll be thrilled." Alice asserted.

"So… can I go home now?" I asked, glancing back to my already packed suitcase on the floor.

"Oh! Yes, I'll take you home now." I stood with Edward and grabbed my suitcase from where he'd left it on the floor. We made our way outside, leaving the rest of the Cullens in the living room of their extravagant home. Edward decided to carry me bridal-style as he ran back to my house. He felt much more at ease as he ran this time. I suppose, knowing that the people trying to kill me weren't coming _yet_ made him feel a little bit better. I know it made me feel like a happy little munchkin compared to my emotions an hour ago. When we reached my home, Edward easily jumped through my window and set my carefully back on my feet.

"I need a human minute." I stated. I grabbed my toiletries and one of the few pairs of pajamas that was left in my drawers, and headed to the bathroom. I went through my nightly routines in a rush, stumbling often while trying to remain silent for fear of waking Charlie. When I finally managed to get _out _of the restroom, I found Edward on my bed, as usual. It was a miracle that somehow he was here, with me. When he had left so many months ago, I never thought that I could ever become whole again. He was-_is_ my other half and it seemed strange to me how easily everything had fallen back into its proper place the _second_ that he had come back to me. Everything was okay again for the first time in a long time and I would do anything to keep it that way.

I flopped down beside my angel on the bed and he wrapped my quilt around me. We lay facing each other and he rested one hand on my waist while the other played with my hair. Neither of us said a word. It was as if we were worried that if we broke the silence, the moment would shatter and be ruined. But it didn't matter much because during some moments, no words were required. I gently took his hand from my waist and twined his fingers with my own. I brought our hands in front of my face and examined how perfectly our fingers fit together. I smiled slightly to myself when I noticed that Edward was doing the exact same thing.

"Bella?" Edward asked in the darkness.

"Yes?" I asked, still staring at our hands.

"Will you marry me?"

"What?!" I exclaimed as I pushed away from him and off the bed altogether. I stood there with my hands on my hips, glaring at him. He lay stunned for a moment before standing up as well. He walked over to me and took my left hand in both of his icy cold ones. He leaned over me until his face was only an inch away from mine, his smoldering golden eyes staring deep into my own.

"I said, 'Will you marry me?'" The smell of his breath sent my head spinning in a dizzying whirl, making it hard to remember my own name, let alone….What were we talking about? I stepped back from him to try to focus. I wasn't ready for marriage, how could he even ask me that?!

"Edward, I _can't_ marry you." I explained, "I'm just… I'm not ready. I mean, I'm only eighteen!"

"I understand that, Bella, but the thing is…" He trailed off, his face looked almost anguished. "The thing is, I don't know what's going to happen when all this is over. Even Alice says that our future is uncertain and I want to be sure that when all is said and done, that you'll still be there, right by my side." He stared at me for a long moment and his eyes portrayed nothing but love, love that was intended for me alone. I sighed.

What was I going to do?

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Bella, what _are_ you going to do? Ooh, this is getting soooo much fun to write!

By the way guys, I'm having a bit of a dilemma. I don't know if I should keep this rated  
T and not have them DO anything, or change the rating to M and have it be that much more romantic. What do you think?

Please review. Almost no one has done so and I feel neglected and a little depressed. Please review.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Twilight is one of the greatest stories ever written, so it obviously wasn't written by me

**Disclaimer: Twilight is one of the greatest stories ever written, so it obviously wasn't written by me.**

**Note: This chapter is dedicated to Connor, the first guy in a long time to ask me out. Even though I said no, you've got guts, boy.**

**Eclipse chapter 5:**

It wasn't that I didn't love Edward with all my heart, but the very thought of marriage sent shivers of terror running up my spine. What would my parents say? What would the neighbors think? Why the hell do I care about either of those? Anyway, I really had to think this through before I made any rash decisions.

Okay, let's look at why I should marry him. 1: I love him and he loves me.2: It seems rational for two people to get married when they're in love. 3: He's worried about how much time we have left together. 4: It would make him happy.

Now, why I _shouldn't_ marry Edward. 1: I don't want to get married. 2: I don't want to get married. 3: I don't want to get married. Even when I thought about all the _real _reasons why I felt marriage was a bad idea, Edward's happiness seemed to outweigh everything. Just then an old saying entered my mind as I looked into Edward's timeless eyes; 'When you love something, set it free. If it returns to you, it will be yours forever. If it doesn't, then it was never truly yours to begin with.' Edward had been set free, and he had come back to me. That meant that he would be mine always, and now I had been given an opportunity to prove it.

"Alright, Edward"- I made sure to speak slowly and sincerely-"I will marry you." I looked down at my feet, embarrassed by my own answer. I heard Edward take a step forward and felt a cool hand on my chin, urging my face upward. When I opened my eyes, I was surprised by the intensity in his face, how strong and willful he seemed to be.

"Isabella Swan, you have just made me the happiest man on the face of the earth." A huge smile spread across his face as he said this and for a brief moment I could see the enthusiastic young man who had grown up in Chicago a hundred years ago. He was so beautiful.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." I mumbled pathetically as I went back to sit on the bed, defeated. I don't suppose that I could really say 'defeated' as I hadn't really put up a fight. I was actually annoyed at myself for _not _trying to keep us as we were. It was very frusturating.

Edward looked amused by my reaction as he followed me and produced a small box from his pocket. He came directly in front of me and got down on one knee.

"Oh, god, not the knee thing!" I said, jumping up.

"Bella, please," he pleaded, "I want to do this right." I glared at him, unmoving. He pulled his lips into a full pout, making him look not unlike a small child. "Please." He said again. I rolled my eyes at him, but I sat back down.

"I hate you." I muttered childishly.

"No, I know you love me." He replied with a smirk.

"Yeah, so?" I retorted. We both laughed at that, but then Edward turned serious once again.

"I've been carrying this around with me for a week, waiting for the perfect moment." He took my left hand and kissed it. It didn't matter that I was angry with him for having the nerve to ask me to marry him at a time like this; my heart still started beating in double time. He opened the box.

I squeezed my eyes shut it and turned my head to the side. I didn't want to look to see what kind of ring he could have possibly gotten me. I heard him chuckle as cold metal was placed on my left ring finger. I could feel that the ring was a small, dainty thing, but it still felt as though it weighed a hundred pounds.

"It was my mother's" I heard Edward say after a moment. I slowly opened my eyes and turned to look at the engagement ring.

It was beautiful. I realize that that was an understatement, but I simply couldn't find another word to describe it. The ring consisted of a single opal surrounded by a halo of diamonds, all placed delicately on a thin golden band. I stared with wide eyes first at the ring and then at Edward who was now sitting beside me. He also was looking at the ring on my finger, turning my hand this way and that, examining how it looked in different lights.

"Edward, it-it's beautiful. Are sure you want me to have this?" I couldn't imagine how he could want me to possess something so lovely.

"Of course I want you to have it!" he said, almost insulted by my question. "You're the one that I love, the one person who I want to marry. I want this ring to be yours forever." I smiled slightly, but it almost didn't feel right to do so. I was happy, but I didn't know if he fully realized what he was promising me with the mention of forever. Oh well, forever could wait. We still had tonight.

Edward and I lay back down on my mattress and lay in smiling silence. I entwined our fingers like I had before, but now when I lifted them to my face, I now saw the ring that sat almost ominously on my finger. But something in his proposal still haunted me…

Exactly how much time _did_ we have left?

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I know this chapter was really short, but it needed to be said. It was killing me to have the ever important proposal looming over my head, so I did my best, but I think I might redo this chapter later anyway. Please review if you didn't like. Heck, review if you did. The whole reason I have this page is to become a better writer, but I need your help to do that.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I've run out of clever ways to say this, so I'll just say it: I do not own Twilight

**Disclaimer: I've run out of clever ways to say this, so I'll just say it: I do not own Twilight.**

**Note: This chapter is dedicated to xXbellaXhasXallXtheXluckXx who has given me more reviews than anyone else. I promise not to go cheesey to the point of cheap paperback romances (but **_**NOT**_** for Jacob's sake).**

**Eclipse Chapter 6:**

Two days had passed since the engagement became official. We had celebrated with the rest of the Cullens who seemed to all be ecstatic. Even Rosalie seemed almost proud and amused that Edward had had the guts to ask me. Edward wanted to tell my family as well, but after much argumentation with me he decided to put off that certain conversation. I win an argument every once in a blue moon. Aside from the whole (ugh) _fiancé _thing, everything seemed to be running smoothly. You know, I still despised the idea of getting married, but not to the degree that I had initially. I guess the idea was actually starting to grow on me. The tickets for Chicago had been bought and Charlie had already been told about our "college tour trip" which he was ecstatic about me wanting to participate in, so we were all set. Of course, he had been told that we were going to Pennsylvania (just in case).

That was when everything hit the fan.

I was sitting at home, curled up on the couch with Edward watching "Pride and Prejudice" with Keira Knightly when Edward's cell phone rang. He was kissing my neck repeatedly and I hated that we had been so rudely interrupted. He produced the small phone from his pocket.

"Don't answer it." I groaned.

"It might be important." He said, grinning at my obvious displeasure. He laughed once before answering his phone.

"Hello?"

I could hear Alice's voice buzzing frantically on the other end of the line. She sounded frantic and was speaking so quickly that I couldn't decipher a single word from where I sat. Apparently Edward could, though. He stood fluidly from the couch and started to pace as Alice continued her rapid talking. I followed Edward with my eyes and stiffened when he stopped moving.

"We'll be there in five minutes." Edward said angrily before snapping the phone shut. He crushed it in his hands. The shattered pieces fell to the floor and my terror almost seemed to grow as each one hit the ground. He looked at me with an emotionless expression, but didn't move or say a word.

"What's changed?" I asked in a whisper. My throat squeezed shut after that and speaking would have been impossible.

"The Volturi changed the date of their visit. They'll be here tomorrow." He couldn't even look at me as he said this. Instead he stared at the television as Elisabeth Bennett ran from Debnshire only to be followed by Mr. Darcy. As Mr. Darcy spoke, so did Edward. "Come on, we have to get ready to leave."

We ran up the stairs to my room and through my essentials into my bag. I couldn't think straight as we both fumbled through my drawers. The danger of what was all but crashing down on us washed over me and impaired my thinking ability. All I ended up packing myself was a pair of socks.

In about two seconds all of my belongings were packed and Edward was heading down the stairs. I moved to follow, but I stopped at the top of the stairwell. Somehow, in that frantic moment, an epiphany had managed to break through into my consciousness. What would the Volturi do when we weren't here? They would follow us; they had the ability to do so. How long could Edward and I keep running? How much time would it take for them to eventually catch up with us? But more importantly, how many people would end up getting hurt before we were found? Edward was already at the bottom of the stairs before he even noticed that I wasn't behind him.

"Come on, Bella, we have to go _now_."

"No, Edward." I answered; my voice as distant as my mind. "We can't leave. If we start running now, we'll be running forever. Honestly, how long do you think that it'll take for them to find us?" I paused, and for the first time I actually met his gaze with my own. "As much as I'd like to believe otherwise, running is not an option." We both knew that every word I said was true. By running, we would just be prolonging the inevitable. And from where I stood now, the inevitable looked like my death. Edward put down my bag and walked back up to my side. He wrapped his arms protectively around me head against my own.

"I promise you, I will _never_ let anything harm you, Bella." His voice was soft, but filled with authority. He meant every word he said.

Oh, how badly I wanted to believe him. But I knew that this was one promise that he simply couldn't keep. I rested my hands against his stone-cold chest. Tears flowed freely from my eyes as another sad realization dawned on me.

We were out of time.

Aw, you didn't actually think that I'd let our lovers get away _that_ easily, did you? I told you before; this is supposed to read like a full novel, so everything can't just be handed to them on a silver platter. In my world, if you want something good you have to fight for it. But at least they still have each other. I wonder if I'm more mean, or girly? Which do you think?

P.S I'm going to my cabin soon, so I won't have internet access. I promise I'll make it up to you guys, though. The chapter(s) will be complete, just not posted.


	7. Chapter 7

Eclipse chapter 7:

**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to the fabulous Stephenie Meyer, not me. I don't own 'I will follow you into the dark' by Death Cab for Cutie, either.**

**Note: I have to dedicate this chapter to Rosa (one of my many Twi-Hard friends) who actually gave me a mix CD with that song on it. Thank you, Rosa, you're wonderful.**

**Eclipse chapter 7:**

That night, possibly our last night together, went on basically the same as any other, but somehow it was completely different. Edward held me just a little closer that night and looked at me just a little differently than he normally did. I took note of everything that night; how his chest rose and fell as he breathed, the way his lips felt against my own when we kissed, the way that his golden eyes always seemed to be searching for something every time he looked at me. I tried to only focus on him and every precious second that we had together, but I simply couldn't. Two main questions kept burning in the back of my mind and refused to let me think about anything else until they were answered. First (obviously); would the Volturi _actually_ kill me? And second, but most important; would Edward try to follow me in death if they did? I refused to let that happen, and I had to make sure of that immediately.

"Edward?" I asked. I had to make certain that he wouldn't try to do anything to harm himself if something should happen to me.

"Yes?"

"I need for you promise me something." I tried to keep from sounding like some scared little child… I failed.

"What?" He prompted.

"If something should happen to me tomorrow-"

"_Nothing _is going to happen to you tomorrow." He growled through clenched teeth.

"I know that it's very _unlikely_ that anything will happen… but just in case, I need to hear something from you." I had to set him free from any obligation to me while I still had the opportunity.

"Anything." He said wholeheartedly. He stared intently into my eyes and my heart jumped to my throat before I could even attempt to get the words that needed to be said, said. I swallowed hard as if I were swallowing a blade, and continued.

"I need for you to promise me that should I die"- the word burned my throat horridly on the way out-"that you won't do anything to try to hurt yourself inany way. You have to go on, Edward. If not for me, then for Carlisle, and Esme, and…"-I was on the verge of tears, but I fought against the lump in my throat and continued-"and Emmett, and Rosalie, and Jasper, and Alice, for all of them." The tears finally fell from my eyes and I hurriedly wiped them away. I had to _see_ him answer, to be sure that he wouldn't lie to me.

Edward ran his hand anxiously through his hair and looked away from my face. He exhaled sharply and turned his attention back to me after a moment. His face seemed resolved as he answered me with absolute sincerity.

"I can't" he said, shrugging unrepentant, "I can't make you that promise, Bella. If something happens to you…" He trailed off, anguished. I was touched by his devotion, but I .couldn't .let .him. do. this. I knew I had no real way to stop him and that made me feel so helpless. This was impossible. Why did he have to be so stubborn?

"_**Please**_." I begged in one final desperate attempt to keep him from killing himself just because of me. The tears came in more violent waves now and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop them from falling.

"No, Bella." He said again, but softer and with more feeling this time. "Listen, I've been without you once, and I refuse to go through that again. Anywhere that you go, I'll follow, even if where you go is the afterlife."

He rocked me in his arms for a while after that and neither one of us said another word. Soon, the comfort of being in his arms stopped my tears. A quote from the movie we had been watching before entered my mind 'He and I…we're so similar. We're both so stubborn.' I smiled slightly as I recalled the words of Elizabeth Bennett in my head. Edward and I were also very stubborn people. We could never be swayed from a course of action once we were committed to it. But somehow, I felt strangely comforted with the knowledge that whatever happened, I wouldn't have to go through it alone. I wondered if that was wrong of me, but I didn't care. Edward seemed deep in thought as he stared at me. When he noticed that I didn't seem even slightly tired, he started to sing a song that I recognized, not because he had sung it before, but because it was on one of my mixed CDs from Phil.

_Love of mine, Someday you will die_

_But I'll be close behind_

_I'll follow you into the dark_

_No blinding light or tunnels to gates of white_

_Just our hands clasped so tight_

_Waiting for the hint of a spark_

_If heaven and hell decide_

_That they both are satisfied_

_Illuminate the 'no's on their vacancy signs_

_If there's no one beside you when your soul embarks_

_Then I'll follow you into the dark_

_In catholic school, vicious as Roman rule_

_I got my knuckles bruised _

_By a lady in black_

_I held my tong as she told me_

"_Son, fear is the heart of love."_

_So I never went back_

_If heaven and hell decide _

_That they both are satisfied_

_Illuminate the 'no's on their vacancy signs_

_If there's no one beside you when your soul embarks_

_Then I'll follow you into the dark_

_You and me have seen everything to see_

_From Bangkok Calgary in the soles of your shoes_

_For all one down, the time for sleep is now_

_It's nothing to cry about 'cause we'll hold each other soon_

_The blackest of rules_

_If heaven and hell decide_

_That they both are satisfied_

_Illuminate the 'no's on their vacancy signs_

_If there's no one beside you when your soul embarks_

_Then I'll follow you into the dark_

_Then I'll follow you into the dark_

One final tear fell down my check as I fell asleep.

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Please don't be mad about how short this chapter is. I wasn't even going to have this chapter originally, but I thought that it would be important. Also, I've decided to keep it rated T…for the moment. Who knows, that might just change later on.

Sorry I couldn't post this earlier. At my cabin I have no internet, no cell phone reception, and 3 TV channels. I was trapped in the middle of nowhere with my family. Murder.


	8. Chapter 8

Eclipse chapter 8:

**Disclaimer: I do own Twilight…in my dreams.**

**Note this chapter is dedicated to my brother Zack who's birthday is July 16****th ****(he'll be 17). He has stolen a look at future chapters and has promised not to tell our parents. Happy birthday to him.**

**Eclipse chapter 8:**

The next morning I awoke alone. I sat up and looked around for Edward, but he was nowhere to be found. Finally I noticed the small note folded neatly on my pillow. A brief message was written in Edward's elegant script.

Bella,

Be at my house by 10:00. Its okay, they just want to talk.

-Edward

This was good. At least they hadn't come and killed me in my sleep. I glanced at the clock which read 8:00. I hopped out of bed and went to the bathroom in a rush. I had plenty of time, but the panic made me want to be ready at least an hour early. After a quick breakfast, I probably spent about ten minutes deciding what to wear. I wanted to look presentable, but something that I could easily run in (though I knew that if worse came to worse, running wouldn't do me any good), and I figured that the less skin exposure, the better. I decided on a blue fuzzy sweater that Alice had bought me and a pair of jeans with tennis shoes. For the final touch, I removed my engagement ring from the chain where it always hung on my neck, and placed it on my left ring finger. Somehow, having it there seemed to give me strength. I took a deep breath and headed out the door.

I had given myself more than enough time to make it to Edward's house by 10:00, my premature adrenalin rush had seen to that. I hopped in the cab of my truck and turned the key slowly. The roar of my truck coming to life scared the crap out of me and I must have jumped a foot out of my seat. I slammed my hand down on the wheel in anger at my own stupidity. Thankfully it was a Saturday, so Charlie had already left to go fishing and didn't see how on-edge I was.

The drive to Edward's house seemed to take an eternity, but eventually I made it to the very long driveway. I made it about ten feet in before I pulled over on the shoulder in a panic. I laid my head on my hands that still rested on the wheel and exhaled shakily. My heart thundered in my chest like some beast that had just woken inside of me. I cried a few, tearless sobs and after a few moments my pulse calmed and my hands stopped shaking. 'They just want to talk' I reminded myself, 'They just want to talk'. I happened to look down at my hand then and Edward's ring sat there as a constant reminder of what I was fighting for. That seemed to give me the extra push I needed and I continued on down the driveway.

When I made it to the house I didn't notice any extra cars, but I knew they were here. I cut the engine and stepped out. Every instinct in my body was screaming at me to run, but I forced myself onward. My feet seemed to weigh 50 pounds as I walked and I had to fight to take a single step. When I got to the door at last, I found Edward waiting for me, just inside the front hall. I sighed in relief at the sight of his face, though he was obviously ill at ease. He didn't say a word, but took my left hand, smiled slightly when he saw that I was actually wearing the ring, and led me inside.

In the Cullen's living room sat/stood twelve vampires (Edward made 13). All of the Cullens were present as well as six others, all of whom wore dark cloaks with the hoods down. That is, all but one. The frightening redhead was leaning casually in the corner nearest the kitchen looking perfectly at ease. Victoria. My heart started beating in double time when I saw her and apparently, she noticed. She smirked wickedly at me as Edward towed me to the nearest chair. I sat down on the comfortable cushions as he seated himself on the armrest. I felt strangely calmer once sitting. Then I saw Jasper standing nearby. That explained it.

"Ah, welcome Bella." Carlisle greeted politely. "Allow me to introduce everyone. This is Aro, Demetri, Jane, Felix, and Alec." He pointed each person out in turn and didn't even bother acknowledging Victoria, for which I was thankful. For the first time I noticed how everyone seemed to be laid out almost strategically. On the couch Carlisle sat on one end, Rosalie on the other with Aro in the middle. Jane stood directly behind Rose, leaning against the back of the sofa. Also leaning against the back of the sofa was Emmett, only he faced the wall watching Demetri, who leaned against the wall watching Emmett. On the chair opposite was Jasper and Alice stood directly behind him, beside Victoria. Alec stood no more than five feet from Jasper. And behind Edward and myself stood Esme with Felix at her side.

Aro stood up from his spot on the couch and walked to the center of the room. His cloak swirled around him like a dark mist as he moved. He turned and addressed us as a group.

"Now, you all know why we're here." He began, "We were informed by Ms. Victoria that Bella has learned our secret and that is obviously a problem." Aro's presence terrified me, but he seemed to be reluctant to the idea of destroying me, which was promising.

"And problems are dealt with." Victoria added cruelly. I heard Edward growl low within his chest and I instinctively reached up my left hand to calm him. I placed my hand on his and he quieted. When I looked up at Aro, I found him staring dumbfounded at my hand or more specifically, the ring on it. I was starting to wonder if wearing it had been a bad idea. After a moment he regained his composure and continued.

"No," he corrected, "problems are solved. How do we all suggest that we solve this problem?" Victoria was the first to speak up, naturally.

"We could kill her, eliminate the problem altogether. It's not that hard to fabricate an accident scene." She stated this simply, as if discussing possible vacation spots rather than someone being killed. Edward released a feral snarl and snapped his teeth at her and she hissed in reply.

"The girl's death is far from necessary, Aro. There is another option that I feel will be much easier for everyone here to live with." Jane's whimsical voice surprised me when she spoke. But at least she seemed to be on my side.

"She's right; it would be much easier to turn the girl here and now rather than kill her; less of a mess to clean up." Alec broke in.

"Whoa- hold up." Emmett exclaimed, "You can't just spontaneously decide to turn her into a vampire! Her dad's a cop, there will be investigations, missing persons reports… Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if the FBI got involved!"

"Well, there won't be a missing persons' report if you leave them a body…" Victoria commented. Alice stood fluidly and walked over to stand in front of Victoria. She slapped her, smiled, and sat back down.

"Aro, I know of your ability and you know of mine, correct?" Alice asked.

"Correct." Aro stated, confused.

"Well then…" Alice rose once again and reached out as if to shake Aro's hand. He extended his own white hand and grasped hers eagerly. He stared at their hands in deep concentration and I had absolutely no idea what was going on. After a moment, he released her tiny hand and she returned to her seat. Aro seemed resolved and satisfied with whatever had happened and quickly turned back to address us all.

"Some interesting information has just been brought to my attention. Our secret is safe and Bella shall in fact be a vampire before October, as was going to be my condition. We have no more business here." He turned to me and Edward. "I wish you both every happiness." I released a breath that I hadn't realized that I had been holding and for the first time in a long time, I relaxed.

"Until we meet again, my friend." Carlisle said, standing. The Volturi and Victoria (reluctantly) moved to leave, but Aro stopped at the door.

"Victoria…" Aro said, turning back to face the angry redhead, "I learned a few more things from seeing Alice's mind. Apparently, you brought us here under false pretences. You do realize that the Volturi are not a means to settle old scores, we simply try to enforce our laws and try to keep a peace among our kind. You knew that Bella wouldn't say anything, she's engaged to marry one of them! As such, I've decided that _you_ are the risk to our security." Realization crossed Victoria's face which quickly turned to sheer terror.

"No, no you can't- you misunderstand-", Victoria began shakily, but Aro didn't seem to hear her pleas at all.

"Jane" he prompted. The little girl turned to Victoria and smiled sweetly. Victoria's scream of agony echoed throughout the room as she fell to the floor, wringing in her torture. "Demetri" Aro stated, turning to the cloaked man beside him. He stepped over to the creature's pained form and placed one foot on her shoulder. Grabbing a fistful of blazing hair, he yanked upward and the screams suddenly broke off. I turned my head into Edward and closed my eyes; I couldn't stand to even glance at the corpse. I heard the door open and after a moment, shut. Only then did I dare open my eyes.

"Well, that wasn't necessary." Carlisle said disapprovingly, looking at the spotless floor where Victoria had been not a moment ago. No one else spoke for a moment, then Emmett decided to remind us of the bright side of all this.

"What's with all the serious faces? Edward, your girl just evaded the Volturi with no running necessary and your most hated enemy is dead. It's over! Come on, cheer up!" He exclaimed, a huge smile on his face.

"He's right." Rosalie said quietly, "We have a lot to be thankful for." She then turned her full attention to me and for the first time, she spoke to me directly. "Bella, you were so brave. I'm sorry, though, that Aro's condition was that you become a vampire. That should be a choice that you make on your own. But, either way, I want you to know that we will all be honored to have you as our sister." She smiled as she said this and for the first time I felt as though she accepted me and I now had a small sense of hope that Rosalie and I might still become friends.

"Thank you Rosalie." I answered wholeheartedly.

"Come on, let's get you home." Edward said, standing. He took my hand in his and we walked to the door. As we made our way to my truck he kissed me lightly on the check and that was all it took to get my heart to pick up in pace. I hopped into the passenger side of my truck reluctantly and let Edward drive without a fight.

I rolled the window down and let the wind play with my hair as he sped down the street. He was probably going about as fast as my truck could go without breaking down. The engine whined from being pushed too hard. Even though he looked relieved and at ease, he still drove too fast for my liking. He held my hand between the seats and he often glanced down at them almost to make sure that the ring hadn't magically disappeared.

About half way to my house, Edward's cell phone told us that he had received a text message. He flipped open his phone, still driving, and quickly snapped it shut again. He looked out the window and if it were possible, he would have been blushing a deep red. He was suddenly focused on the road and didn't dare to meet my curious gaze.

"What did it say?" I asked after a moment. I was insanely curios now.

"It was just something from Alice." He replied, evasive.

"So that means you're not going to tell me, right?"

"Yep." I rolled my eyes at him, but said nothing more.

We reached my house in another few minutes just as my stomach started to grumble. Edward opened the door for me and we headed directly for the kitchen. I emptied the contents of my pockets (Chap Stick, cell phone, and barrette) onto the countertop and Edward followed my example. I grabbed some lunch meat from the fridge and the bread from the pantry and set about making myself some lunch. It was already 1:00. Edward sat in one of Charlie's chairs and just watched me. I hated when he did that, it made me so self-conscious.

"What time will your dad be back?" Edward asked casually. Did I imagine the nervous edge to his voice?

"He's fishing, so not until late this evening. 6:00 maybe…5:00 at the earliest." I grabbed a bag of Doritos and sat down at the table. He just watched me casually. I felt stiff under his gaze. If I were an anime person, I would have one of those big sweat drops on the back of my head.

"Hey, why don't you head upstairs and read or something?" I suggested.

"All right." He replied. He stood at a human speed, and then disappeared. I continued eating, but I was hyper aware of Edward's cell phone sitting on the counter nearby. I tried to ignore it, but it seemed to be screaming at me. After a moment I couldn't take it anymore and I grabbed it from where it sat on the counter and flipped it open. I went to 'review texts' and found that the majority of the messages were from Rosalie (Edward must have taken Emmett's phone), but I ignored those and opened the one from Alice. It read:

Edward,

OMG UR a pig! Don't worry about it, anyway. You won't hurt Bella and her dad won't find out. If he did, U'd B dead. Just don't over 'do it'. LOL!

-Alice

Shit.

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Ooh, la la. I know that this is really OOC for Edward, but I'm bored. What will Bella do? This is making me giddy because I know you're all dying for the next chapter.

Will our man better than Prince Charming get screwed?


	9. Chapter 9

Eclipse chapter 9:

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, but Edward is mine. No I can't say that, he's Bella's. Lucky girl.**

**Note: this chapter is dedicated to basically…all of you who are reading this and were so nice to review and so patient to wait for this chapter. I know you've been dying to read this and I hope I did it justice. I thought that I'd wait a day before posting this just to build the suspense.**

**Eclipse chapter 9:**

Holy crap. I had a vampire in my house who apparently wanted to sleep with me…and I had just sent him up to my bedroom. I snapped the phone shut and set it carefully back on the counter with slightly shaking hands. It wasn't that I didn't want to have sex with Edward, far from it, but I didn't want to end up humiliating myself because I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. My heart thumped uneasily in my chest as I involuntarily pictured it in my head: Him, me….okay, I stopped that thought right there. I dragged that thought into the woods and shot it dead.

The only semi reassuring thing was that I was wearing pretty underwear. Ever since I'd been going out with Edward I'd always felt strange standing beside this godlike creature so to make myself feel prettier (without making it look like I was trying to do so) I started buying underwear that looked like sexy lingerie. I glanced up to where Edward was waiting for me before washing my plate and heading upstairs, looking casual. When I reach my room, I found Edward sprawled across my bed with my Jane Austen collection in his hands. I lie down next to him and put my head near his so as to see the printed page.

"What are ya reading?" I asked.

"Persuasion." He stated, closing the book and turning to face me.

"Why that one?"

"Well, I've been thinking," He spoke seriously with a seductive tone to his voice which I am _certain_ he did not plan on using, "about what happened today. I was so afraid that something was going to go wrong, that I was going to lose you…"

"Edward, you will never lose me." I promised.

"Yes, I know. Now, let me finish." He paused to make sure that I wasn't going to interrupt again. "I was scared that I would lose you, but somehow I felt totally reassured when I saw you walk in wearing this."- He brought my left hand to his face and kissed it where the ring sat- "Why were you wearing it?" This question caught me a little off guard, but I knew exactly how to answer it.

"I was wearing it because I was scared. I was wearing it because in that panic I was unable to see the reason behind any of it. When I saw that ring, I saw you and that gave me the ability face the Volturi and finish it. It reminded me what I was fighting for." Every word that I said was true. It was all over now. We had gotten through it together. I no longer needed to hide; I no longer needed for him to protect me. Everything was as it should be.

Edward smiled and kissed me. It began innocently enough, but soon became more urgent and heated. His arms wound themselves tightly around my waist as my own wrapped behind his neck and my fingers twined in his hair. Forgetting the book entirely and letting it fall to the floor, he rolled over so that he lay over me, supporting all his weight on just his arm. I blushed a strange shade of crimson as I felt his hard member against me through our clothing.

"Edward, what are you doing?" I asked, slightly panicked.

"I'll give you one guess." He whispered as his cold lips moved to the base of my throat. His hands gripped the bottom of my shirt and pulled it over my head. My breathing wasn't the only one that accelerated as Edward threw my shirt to the floor while still kissing me. I knew very well what he was doing, and I didn't stop him. Right and wrong had ceased to mean much to either of us and all I felt was the urge to prove that I was indeed very much alive and Edward was apparently feeling the same way. He reached down to unbuckle his belt and for the first time in our lives we made love.

Several hours later Edward and I lay side by side on my bed. He looked at me with all the love in his heart and his fingers traced up and down my arm. I was content and…happy. It hadn't been awful like I had feared, actually quite the opposite. I'd never felt that way in my life and there was no way that anything, not even drugs, could ever make me feel that kind of high. Edward looked away from me for a brief second to glance at the clock.

"Shit!" he exclaimed, hopping out of my bed like a lightening bolt and throwing on his clothes. I looked at the clock as well. It read 4:56. 'Shit' was right; my dad would be home any minute! I hopped up too and grabbed my scattered clothes from where they had been thrown previously. After dressing I ran to the bathroom and ran a comb through my now messy hair. Edward was at my side the second that I came from the bathroom while I was still straightening out my clothes.

"You look beautiful." He assured me, kissing me lightly on the lips for a brief second. We rushed back downstairs and turned on the TV in the living room, laughing all the way. We sat down on the couch about ten seconds before we heard the cruiser enter the driveway. We looked as if we had been there the entire time. I sighed in relief and Edward wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

"Bella?" Charlie called from the door.

"No, Sir, It's Keira Knightly!" I yelled back with a British accent. Charlie laughed as he rounded the corner into the living room.

"Hey kids, what have you been up to?" I think I blushed.

"Nothing much." I replied. I had no idea how to tell dad that I was engaged. What would he think? I took a deep breath and suddenly made the decision that it was now or never.

"Hey dad," I started, "Edward and I have some important news to tell you." I stopped to try to gather my thoughts and try to ease into it. Only I had no clue where to start. I bit my lip. Edward looked down at me curiously for a moment before he realized what I was trying to tell Charlie.

"Are you pregnant?" Charlie asked suddenly with a poorly hidden hint of acid in his voice. He glared at Edward. I straightened up in my chair and looked at him, startled. I was amazed that he had even reached that conclusion.

"No, dad, I am not pregnant." I replied angrily. Vampires can't have children. I glared at him for a moment when Edward decided to break in before I said something I would likely regret later on.

"Actually, Sir, what Bella is trying to say is…Well, we're engaged and we would really like your blessing." So much for the 'ease into it' idea. Edward spoke slowly and respectfully and made it sound as if Charlie had all the say here, even though in truth he really had no say whatsoever. The news seemed to hit Charlie head on as I gathered from his staring blankly at us for a moment and blinking twice before replying.

"Well, I can't say that I'm surprised. It was bound to happen sooner or later, but I must admit that I wasn't really prepared for it." He chuckled slightly and exhaled before continuing. "I suppose that if you're really in love then I can't stop you, but rest assured that you have my blessing." Any anger or irritation that I felt for Charlie melted away the moment that the words left his mouth.

"Thank you dad." I said gratefully, a smile returning to my face.

"But you're telling your mother. That's one conversation that I am staying as far away from as possible." He seemed a little smug at the idea of my mother's reaction to all this. I tried to figure out how to get her to completely change her views on early marriage over the phone in my head when Edward's voice broke through my consciousness.

"You know, if Bella still has the tickets she got for her birthday we could tell her in person." He was almost cheered by the idea and I couldn't help but be a little suspicious about this.

"Yeah, I still have them…"I answered warily.

"Excellent, we have some time off from school, we can go next week."

"Hold up! I thought your college trip to Pennsylvania was next week." Dad reminded us. I had actually totally forgotten about that.

"It was cancelled." Edward lied easily, "There was a fire at the school. I already refunded our tickets, but we still have three days off of school next week."

"I didn't hear anything on the news about any fire." Charlie contradicted.

"Well, it didn't make National headlines, but it was probably all over the local news."

"Okay, whatever." He shrugged, giving up. Edward turned back to me and smiled. I ground my teeth at the thought of not only telling my mother, but being physically present for her reaction. I narrowed my eyes at Edward. He wasn't letting this just be easy.

What are you plotting, Edward Cullen?

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This chapter was a pain to write, but I think it turned out well. Thank you to jashaw who gave me an idea for how to write the …scene without felling like a perv.


	10. Chapter 10

Eclipse chapter 10:

**Disclaimer: I can lie and say I do own Twilight, but I don't feel like it.**

**Note: This chapter is dedicated to my parents who actually listened to me when I said we should go to Seattle for vacation (Yes, we did go to Forks).**

Eclipse chapter 10:

Edward and I got all the work we would be missing while we were on our trip on Monday and we had it all finished on Tuesday. Edward had gotten impatient halfway through my Calculus homework and had offered to do it for me, but I declined. I was determined to finish it myself. I ended up redoing it several times with Edward's help as he kept pointing out my mistakes. Everything else we were able to breeze through in about an hour. We handed it in the next day and our trip seemed all the more optimal.

I was amazed at how non-awkward it was between Edward and myself. I had been afraid that after what had happened on Saturday that he might try to avoid eye contact or not come within several inches of me or something among those lines, but it seemed to have the opposite affect. He no longer seemed to be trying to be careful, it just came naturally to him. We both smiled a lot more and for the first time since he'd come back it felt as though we had a normal relationship again. The feeling of happiness that coursed through me was unparalleled. There was no possibility anymore of him ever losing control.

Wednesday rolled around and Alice was simply in an uproar. Our flight out of Seattle didn't leave until this evening, but we had decided to take the day off from school anyway. When we had gotten to Edward's house, Alice had insisted on going through my suitcase and when she finished, she through out almost of my clothes deeming them unsuitable.

"Well what's wrong with them?" I asked her, offended.

"Bella, you need some clothes that show off how beautiful you are."-She waved a delicate hand over my discarded clothing- "These ones do absolutely nothing for you." Rosalie then entered the room and leaned against the doorway with a perfect eyebrow raised.

"She's right you know," Rosalie said to me, "You definitely need a change of wardrobe. We have the time, why don't you let Alice and me take you Seattle? I could use some new shoes as well."

"No." I answered quickly, "No, I- I don't really do shopping sprees."

"It's so cute how she thinks she has a choice in the matter." Rosalie said to Alice. I bit my lip and looked between the two of them. Apparently no one could resist playing with a life sized Barbie doll. This little ball of energy was going to be the death of me.

Within an hour Rosalie, Alice, Edward, and I were all in a fast moving convertible heading to Seattle. The trip that normally took several hours took less than one. When we arrived she parked in an over crowded garage and the two girls half dragged me into the nearest shopping mall and headed directly for Macy's. Edward followed quietly behind us, not saying a word, but smiling slightly to himself at my torture.

Summer was closely approaching so we didn't have any trouble with finding lighter clothes that were more appropriate for Florida. Unfortunately, Alice seemed to think I looked good in skirts so most of my wardrobe consisted of summer dresses. You know, the kind where you don't dare look at the price tag for fear of fainting. Alice threw the first dress at me and pushed me into a dressing room while Rosalie went off to find shoes and accessories to match.

When I finally managed to get into the dreaded thing, I turned to face myself in the mirror. I gasped at my reflection. The dress had two thin layers to it with the top layer being white and the bottom layer a pale blue. The white layer was sleeveless and went to about midway down my thighs with a slit on either side. At the top of each slit sat a blue velvet ribbon tied into a bow with the loose ends running down to my calf. The blue layer was longer; it went down to my knees and at the top of the dress it created those frilly sleeves that just kind of sat of top of your shoulders. It looked beautiful. I smiled at my reflection and wondered what Edward would think when he saw this.

"Here you go." Rosalie's voice pulled me from my daze and back to reality. Her pale hand was hanging over the top of the dressing room door holding a pair of simple, white ballet flats.

"Oh-! Thank you." I said and grabbed the shoes. I pulled off my own tennis shoes and switched them out. As I put the new shoes on (They were a perfect fit) another question popped into my head; Why had Rosalie suddenly decided to be nice to me? I stood still for a moment to ponder this when a tiny fist pounded on the door.

"Will you come _out_ already? We're all dying to see what it looks like on you, Edward especially." Alice was obviously annoyed, but I had to wait another moment for my latest blush to fade. I took a deep breath and stepped out of the dressing room.

Everyone seemed to be pleased with the dress. Alice nodded vigorously and clapped her small hands together and Rosalie smiled approvingly. Edward looked me up and down with wide eyes before smiling my favorite crooked smile. I turned in a circle to give them a better view of the whole dress. I loved how the ribbons swirled around me as I did so.

"What do you think?" I asked, looking directly at Edward.

"Beautiful," he replied, "Simply breathtaking." He stepped forward and took my hands in his marble ones. I stood on my toes and gave him a light kiss. We stood there looking at each other briefly when I noticed a pile of shopping bags behind Alice.

"What's all that?" I asked suspiciously, "Rosalie, please tell me that's your's."

"Nope, it's your's." She replied deviously. I couldn't understand how they could have bought all of that while I was just trying on _one_ dress.

"Don't worry, they all fit you perfectly." Alice said simply, not even taking notice of my suddenly hysterical expression. She grabbed about five bags in one hand and took my hand in the other. "Come on, we still have a few more shops to hit." She explained as we exited Macy's.

"How can we possibly have more shops to hit?" I contradicted.

"Well, that was just for you. Now we need to get a few things for Edward too." I prayed to god that I was imagining the double meaning in her words. Apparently, though, I wasn't as she proceeded to tow me to a Victoria's Secret store. I glanced back to Edward, but he and Rosalie were no where to be found.

"Rosalie's distracting him. I think she's trying to help him find your graduation present.

"No." I stated firmly at the entrance, planting my feet where they were, "No. No, no, no, no _way_. I am _not_ going in there. I refuse."

"Bella, come _on_," She spoke quickly in her annoyance, "If not now, then for later. I mean, you are going to get married this summer-" She stopped short and clapped a hand tightly over her mouth, realizing what she had just said.

"Wait, I'm getting married _this summer_?! When do we decide _that_?!" It was so soon. Edward and I hadn't even picked a date yet. I was too stunned to even think straight at that moment. Alice looked down at her feet, mad at herself. Then an idea sent a sparkle into her butterscotch eyes and she looked back up at me.

"I'll tell you a few more details if you go inside." She waved a hand back to the store and I ground my teeth together before reluctantly heading into the store.

I bought three sets of lingerie, none of which I ever planned to wear. For ever item I tried on, I got one detail, for every item I bought, I got two. I shoved the tiny pink shopping bag into the bottom of the much larger Macy's bags and tried to forget all about its existence. Thankfully that was all the shopping the girls had deemed necessary for today so after a visit to the food court we were free to go. Our flight didn't leave 'til 8 (We'd land in Jacksonville safely at midnight) and it was only now noon. We had plenty of time to kill so after ditching the bags at Rosalie's care, we decided to walk Seatlle.

We first went to the closest attraction which happened to be the Space Needle, but after a brief discussion about my vertigo, we decided to skip it and move on. We rounded the corner and went to the Science Fiction museum instead. After spending a paranormally boring 20 minutes there, we went next door to the Music museum. They had a two story tower of guitars that was simply amazing! When we went to the exhibit on Jimmy Hendrix, they had a video playing of one his concerts and Edward pointed out to me where he stood in the audience. My jaw literally dropped at the sight of Edward, _my_ Edward, rocking out at a concert 20 years ago. It made me wonder about what other amazing thing he had seen in his long lifetime. A question sat on my lip already, but I kept my mouth shut. I didn't want to run the risk of bringing up any kind of bad memory by accident. I decided to simply focus on the present instead.

After the museums we headed to the piers to do some fun window shopping. At the Pirate's Plunder shop we found some play jewelry for 25 cents each so all the girls bought rings for every one of our fingers. All Edward got was a pirate license for Johnny Depp. It was pointless, but it was fun. We went into every shop that there was but stopped after we found a vampire killing kit at a magic shop. After that we left and went to an art gallery nearby. For dinner we went to Pike's Market and Edward insisted that I try the famous clam chowder. I have to admit, it was pretty good. By that time we had about an hour until our flight left so we went to the airport and said goodbye to his family. The clock said that it was 7:30, but I was already completely wiped out from my long, tortuous day. Edward was talking to me about things he planned to do on our trip and I tried to pay attention, I TRIED, but there was no way. He seemed to notice this after about another minute and he kindly fell silent. He wrapped his arm tightly around my shoulders and helped support me as we got on the plane. Shortly after take off I fell asleep, but my mind was far from easy. The next four hours my mind swirled with the worst nightmares imaginable…

My mother's reaction when I told her I was engaged.

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Hey, y'all this is Brooke. This is really not my greatest chapter but I'm working on it.

I got a request from my friend to post my account of a midnight release party I'm going to for Breaking Dawn at Hardings Book Store in Hudson, Wisconsin. Do you think I should? The cashier guy is a Twilight fan and he's really, _really_ hot!


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I love Edward, I love Bella, I love Twilight, but that still doesn't make it mine

**Disclaimer: I love Edward, I love Bella, I love Twilight, but that still doesn't make it mine.**

**Note: This chapter is dedicated to kikat who sent me a wonderful review earlier. I'm glad to have her as a fan.**

Eclipse chapter 11:

The next thing that I was aware of was Edward gently shaking me awake as the pilot announced that we were now landing in Jacksonville. I glanced lazily at my watch: it read 12:34 am. I groaned quietly and laid my head back on Edward's shoulder.

"Five more minutes." I pleaded to him, my eyes already closed. He chuckled softly and I felt his cool lips lightly brush the top of my head. I knew I couldn't fall back asleep, but I refused to wake up and worry about my mother until absolutely necessary.

I didn't open my eyes again until I felt the plane come to a stop at our terminal. As we got out I tried to grab my one carry-on bag from the compartment above our heads, but it was stuck. I yanked as hard as I could and on the third try it came flying down and whacked me square in the face. I was about to all backwards into the people who were still seated across the aisle from me when Edward caught me around the waist to save me. He rolled his eyes and grabbed the bag from me with an amused smile playing on his lips. He took my hand in his free one and led me off the plane before I could endanger anyone else.

When we got into the airport I looked around frantically for my mother who was supposed to be meeting us here. I found her the same time that she saw me from where she sat on a bench near the windows. She jumped up from her spot and rushed towards us. I dropped Edward's hand and met her half way, throwing my arms around her in a tight hug.

"Oh, Bella! I've missed you sooo much!" I hadn't noticed before just how much I had missed her. I smiled and clung to her for another minute before I remembered that Edward was standing right there and we had to get going.

"I missed you too, Mom." I replied, releasing her. She cupped my face in her small hands and kissed my forehead before politely turning her attentions to Edward.

"It's nice to see you again too, Edward." She said. I suspect that Charlie had already informed her how Edward had come back because she didn't seem to be the least bit acidic towards him. At least we had that in our favor.

Mom and I chatted all the way to baggage claim. She asked me about how things were going in Forks, my friends, any plans that I had for the summer. To avoid lying to her, I turned the conversation to her and Phil. Apparently he was working a lot lately and every night he came home absolutely exhausted, that was why he hadn't come with her to pick us up. We got our luggage quickly and soon we were able leave. Luckily none of our baggage was lost.

My mother drove while Edward and I sat in the back seat. I had only slept for a few hours of restless sleep on the plane so I was still exhausted. I couldn't sleep, but I rested my eyes while I felt Edward's fingers trail up and down my arm. We got to the house at about 1:45 a.m. so mom directed us up to our rooms so we could sleep for a few more hours. Phil was still asleep so Edward quietly helped me unpack my belongings, placing every item where it belonged without ever requiring directions as to where something should go. Thankfully he didn't look inside the small fabric bag that contained the three sets of lingerie from the day before.

When everything was put away he came to my side and wrapped his arms around my waist. I placed my hands on his shoulders and stood on my toes to kiss him goodnight. But of course, once our lips met I didn't want to let go. He leaned down so I didn't have to reach and my arms wrapped around his neck tightly. His tongue brushed against my lower lip asking of entrance and I felt myself going faint right there. Instead of letting him in, I broke apart from him before I passed out for real.

"Would you like me to come back later tonight?" He asked, his golden eyes doing that dazzling thing again so I couldn't think straight to answer him. He glanced down for only a second, but that was enough for me to reply coherently.

"Actually, I don't think that would be a good idea. My mom…" I knew it was a poor excuse, but I had some questions that I wanted to think through and I knew I could never focus with Edward around. I couldn't focus in general when he was around. Lucky for me he didn't press the matter but instead nodded knowingly and kissed me briefly on the lips before heading for his own room.

I closed my door tightly and I didn't even bother to change into my pajamas. Instead I seated myself at the desk and turned on the lamp dimly. It was funny; In Forks all I could think about was my mother in Jacksonville (and telling her the news), but now that I was here, my thoughts were back home in Forks. I had several questions burning in my mind and every time I tried to focus on one, the others kept wedging themselves in and I just ended up confused.

After a few minutes of frustration, I yanked open one of the desk drawers and pulled out three sheets of paper and a pencil. At the top of each sheet I wrote each question and underlined it. Sheet one: Why was Rosalie being nice to me? Sheet two: Why did Edward suddenly decide take us on a trip to Jacksonville- why now? I could find a simple answer to that one, but I was too suspicious to accept that one. Anyway…Sheet three: How do I patch things up with Jacob? As I looked at each sheet of paper, only two words came to mind: _no idea_.

I spent almost an hour staring at the papers on my desk and tapping my pencil. I couldn't think in this small, unfamiliar room. I needed some air. Putting the pencil down, I slipped on some flip-flops from under my bed and went to the window. Opening it as wide as it would go, I exhilarated at the rush of the night air against my skin. I inhaled deeply and sighed before I decided that for the first time, I would sneak out of my house. I stepped carefully out onto the roof and slid on my butt to the edge (knowing me, if I didn't I would kill myself). I flipped onto my stomach as my legs flung over the edge and tried to find the porch railing about four feet beneath me. From there it was only another four feet to the ground. My feet found it, but the second I put my weight down, I slipped and fell over backwards, shoes flying,…into the waiting arms of Edward Cullen.

Oops.

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I am sooo sorry. I've been so busy lately that I haven't had _any_ time to write. Babysitting, yard work for neighbors, flute lessons, laundry work for neighbors, dog walking, and planning my birthday party on top of all of that….It's freakin'_** insane**_! My birthday is August second, How AWESOME is that?!


	12. Chapter 12

Eclipse chapter 12:

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, or Breaking Dawn (1 more day)!**

**Note: This chapter is dedicated to EmilyMCullen who has actually sent me the most reviews I've ever received. Thank you Emily, I read and love all of them.**

**Eclipse chapter 12:**

"What exactly do you think you're doing?" Edward asked skeptically, placing me back on the ground.

"I just needed to clear my head." I replied, careful not to make eye contact.

"Oh, and breaking your neck is the way to do that?" He crossed his arms in front of his chest and he sounded much more like my father than my boyfriend.

"I would _not _have broken my neck…even if I did fall." I felt ridiculous arguing with him while I still only had one shoe on. So I clamped my mouth shut and started trying to find my lost shoe in the darkness.

"Your shoe is over by that rock." Edward said, pointing, "You know, the big one that would have broken your neck if you had fallen on it." I looked over at the rock in question and realized he was right. I hadn't even seen it there.

"Thanks." I replied icily, sliding my flip-flop back on my foot before turning my back to him and heading for the road.

"Bella, where are you going?" he called after me. I turned back to him and I paused a second before answering.

"For a walk." I stated.

"And how do you plan to get back inside?" He asked, waving a pale hand back towards the house.

"If I need you I'll whistle." I replied laughing before heading back for the road. I didn't hear Edward reply or make a sound, but when I turned back he was gone. He must have gone back inside.

I walked in what I thought was the general direction of the ocean, but of course I was wrong. I ended up heading into downtown Jacksonville; the one place I didn't want to be. As I passed the forbidding buildings by lamplight I could feel the panic building inside of me. The only people outside at this time were the shady people who reminded me of Port Angeles and who I wanted desperately to avoid.

I turned around to go back the way I had come only to find a man standing on the corner playing with a switchblade. '_Oh, great_.' I thought as I looked at him. He didn't seem to notice me though and I wanted to keep it that way. I turned into the nearest alley to try to find a way around him, but it led to a dead end. I pressed my back against the wall near the mouth of the alley to try to think of another way around the man when a rustling behind me. I spun around to find another woman with dark skin who seemed to be about my age hiding in the dark. I was certain she had not been there before.

She walked toward me stealthily, her waist-long ebony hair flowing around her menacingly. My face froze as she smirked evilly, a hunter mocking its prey. I lifted my foot a half inch a slid it behind me to take a step back, away from her. Before I could even put my foot down I found myself slammed against the back wall of the alley, the woman's hand on my throat, choking me. My hands flew to her's to pry myself loose as I tried desperately to inhale any amount of air, or at least release a decent scream. Only then did I notice her eyes. Her clouded, red eyes.

"Normally I only get bums at this time, but you seem much nicer." Her honey sweet voice sickened me to the core. With her other hand she grabbed a handful of my hair between her fingers and inhaled deeply. "You smell delicious." She turned my head roughly to the side, exposing my throat and moved her face down slowly in order to enjoy her feast fully. Tears sprung from my eyes as I realized that this was it. This wasn't how it was supposed to end.

Edward came flying out of nowhere and tore the woman away from me. He flung her against the wall and she cracked the bricks where she made impact. I fell to my knees and clutched my throat taking deep, raspy breaths. I lifted my head and Edward stood crouched in front of me, snarling at the woman who was now ready for attack as well.

"Does she belong to you?" The vampire asked Edward, "I was wondering why she smelled like us."

"Stay away from her." Edward snarled.

"Of course, I wouldn't dream of messing with another vampire's property." She paused "Am I allowed to leave now?" I was amazed by her sudden change of manner; from mocking and cruel to me to polite and respectful to Edward.

"Get out." He glared at her and didn't release her from his gaze until she left the alley. The second she was gone he kneeled beside me and took me into his arms. I rested my head against his chest and released the tears of terror that I had been trying to hold back previously. He kissed the top of my head repeatedly and rubbed my back soothingly.

"Why are you always so reckless?" He asked quietly. I knew he didn't mean it, but the question hurt anyway.

"Can we go home please?" I begged. I now wanted nothing more than to be back in that little yellow house near the sea in my own bed with Edward right beside me.

He nodded gently before picking me up bridal style and carrying me all the way home. We met no one on the way back and without a sound; we got back into my bedroom. Edward placed me on the bed and kissed me once on the lips. He then disappeared for half a second only to reappear beside me on the bed with a large glass of water.

"Here, drink this." He pressed, handing me the cup.

"Thank you." I replied. I was amazed at just how dry my voice sounded. It hurt me just to say those two simple words. Lifting the water to my lips, I drank until the entire glass was drained. Instantly I felt much better.

"So…who was that vampire in the alley?" I started.

"Her name is Jessica. She's a fairly new vamp, only 40 years old, and her ability is measuring a person's strength. She knew the second she saw me that she couldn't beat me in a fight. That's why she gave up and left so easily. Don't worry; she won't come back looking for you. You were just a spur-of-the-moment choice kill; she couldn't care less whether you lived or died." It was impossible how calmly he could talk about this.

"Were you following me?" That was the only explanation I could up with for how he had gotten there so quickly.

"No, I was just keeping tabs on you from here." I remember how he said he had done that back in Port Angeles.

"Then how did you get there before she killed me? You were so far away."

"You didn't get _that_ far, Bella. The second that the vampire saw you enter the alley I came running as fast as I could. I knew that couldn't be a good situation and it turns out I was right." He stopped to stroke my face for a moment and I could see all the worry in his eyes that I felt so ashamed to have caused. "Believe me; next time I'll follow you."

"There's not going to be a next time. After that incident I'm not going anywhere, not without you." He leaned his face slowly towards my own and my heart accelerated in my chest even before our lips met, but when they did meet, suddenly everything was filled with light. His lips moved in perfect harmony with mine in a bliss moment that seemed sweet and innocent, but still did not lack in passion. After a minute or so, I moved back so as to breathe. Edward grabbed the quilt from the end of my bed and wrapped it tightly around me to keep me warm and shield me from the iciness of his skin. I laid my head against Edward's chest and that's where I fell asleep, safe in his arms.

I prayed that tomorrow would a little less catastrophic…and life-threatening.

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Hope you liked this chapter everyone. This is the product of my lack of sleep and surplus of time at night. I must say…I don't think I did half bad.


	13. Author's screaming rave

Author's screaming rave:

Author's screaming rave:

Oh My _GOD_! Am I good or what? I just went on Stephenie Meyer's website and guess what I found; the Breaking Dawn playlist! And guess what was on it? I Will Follow You Into The Dark by Death Cab for Cutie! Now, the song is amazingly unpopular so I thought for almost 30 seconds that maybe Stephenie had actually read this, but now I don't know. Wouldn't that be awesome; my favorite author reading my work (sighs). Unfortunately, I've been reading Breaking Dawn and she took one of my main plot twists which I now have to change, but I don't mind. She can keep her work and I'll keep mine completely separate.

Just remember, you saw the song here first.

P.S. The Breaking Dawn release party was awesome, but it turns out the cute cashier is actually good friends with my brother Zack, so he's now off-limits.

P.S.S I'm working on chapter 12, please be patient.


	14. Chapter 13

Eclipse chapter 13:

**Disclaimer: I love Stephenie. I love Seth (her webmaster). I love Twilight. I do not own anything previously listed.**

**Note: This chapter is dedicated to Lycaon118 and JulietsInsaneNurse (If you still read this story). It's about time you guys got some credit for reviewing so long ago and believing in me as a writer.**

**Eclipse chapter 13:**

The next morning I woke to the smell of eggs and bacon wafting from the downstairs kitchen. I could feel that I was still in my clothes from yesterday and I figured I should really take a shower before I headed downstairs. Groaning and not bothering to open my eyes I turned in the bed to say good morning to Edward, but where my hand stood have rested on his chest, I encountered only my bed sheets. Eyes flying open in alarm, I sat up in bed to find a small folded piece of paper in his place. I opened the note carefully and read his elegant handwriting.

Bella,

I hope you slept well. Actually, I know that you did. Anyway, I've arranged for a spa day for just you and your mom so brace yourself. I won't be seeing you much today under the excuse of jet lag, so don't feel like you need to make an excuse for me, it's already been taken care of.

I love you,

Edward

It was amazing how even now those three little words at the end still managed to send my blood racing through my veins and filled me with that little-girl-giddy feeling. Wait a sec-did he say 'spa-day'? What the hell? I'd never even been to a spa in my entire _life_. What was he thinking? Oh well, I had time to be mad at him later. Right now I just really needed to take a shower. I fished through my drawers and found absolutely nothing that I wanted to wear. All these beautiful, expensive clothes reflected absolutely nothing of my sense of style (which Alice viewed as virtually non-existent). Finally I settled on a calf length white skirt paired with a pale pink T-shirt and the white ballet flats. I grabbed my bag of toiletries and headed to the bathroom.

It was impossible how even in this humid weather how a hot shower still felt good. It calmed my muscles and let me forget about what I had to tell my mother today. The spa gave me a perfect and long opportunity to ease into the information and in such a calm setting, my mom would have little opportunity to overreact. I shaved my legs carefully and brushed my teeth before tying my hair into a ponytail and heading downstairs toward the many smells of breakfast.

"Good morning." I called cheerily as I entered the kitchen. I found my mother at the stove frying what looked like an entire package of bacon in one pan and cooking eggs in another. Sitting beside the stove was a plate stacked high with toast. I shook my head, amused. Mom always went overboard when it came to company.

"Oh, good morning, sweetheart!" My mom replied, mirroring my bright mood with a smile before returning to her task at the stove.

"Good morning." A voice grumbled tiredly from the table. I turned to see Edward slouched over at the table with tousled hair, wearing sweatpants and a T-shirt that looked too big for him. It probably belonged to Emmett. He was obliviously making a show of being exhausted. I pressed my lips tightly together to keep myself from bursting out in hysterics at the sight. A laugh threatened to burst out in a moment and I hid it (poorly) behind a cough. When my mother turned her back to me, he smiled at me and winked.

"You look awful, Edward." I commented, slightly sarcastic.

"Jet lag." He explained groggily, "The only reason I'm not in bed right now is because Renee dragged me down here for breakfast." I instantly felt a surge of pity for him as I recalled the time when he had taken a large bite of pizza back when I had first met him. He had said that it had tasted like dirt to him. I sat down in the chair next to his and started playing with his hair, trying to move it back into place. He watched me intently with one eyebrow raised as I went about my chore. When I was satisfied with how his hair looked I pulled my hand away, but he caught it in his own ice cold one and kissed me lightly on the palm.

"You look lovely." He whispered. I smiled slightly and he smiled in return. Suddenly he dropped my hand and looked down at the table, avoiding my eyes. Hurt rushed to my heart as I wondered what I had done. Not three seconds later, my mom set a plate down in front of me fully loaded with eggs, bacon, and toast. She placed a large glass of cranberry juice in front of me as well. Oh. That explains it.

My mom went back to grab two more plates for herself and Edward when I noticed that she was singing along (poorly) with the radio. The song was one of her old favorites by The Killers; When You Were Young.

"_And sometimes you close your eyes and you see the place where you used to live!"_ She belted, "_When you were young_." I had forgotten just how much I had missed this. I had missed her singing. I watched her dance around the kitchen as she got the food. She placed a heaping plate of food in front of Edward and took her seat across from us, not singing anymore, but still mouthing the words. I glanced over and saw Edward just staring at the plate of dirt in front of him.

"You really should eat something after your long trip over here." My mom said, concerned.

"I'm not hungry, but thank you."

"Oh, come now. I don't want you to die from a lack of nutrition. What would you mother-" she stopped short at the sound of the phone ringing in the other room. Forgetting us instantly, she rushed off to answer it.

The second my mom was out of the room, I reached over and took Edward's bacon and ripped off a corner of a piece of toast. I also drank about a third of his juice so as to save him from actually having to eat any of it. He could say that he had eaten some of it, but that there was no way that he could actually eat all of that food. My mom wouldn't mind.

"Thanks." He muttered. I then started trying to make progress on my own plate. Thankfully, mom hadn't given me half as much as she'd given Edward so I was able to finish most of it as she chatted away on the phone. Edward also ended up placing his second piece of toast and half of an egg in a napkin and threw them away without notice. About ten minutes later my mom finally came back into the room and was amazed to see most of the food gone.

"And you said you weren't hungry." She said, smiling smugly at Edward. He smiled sheepishly in return before getting up from the table and handing me a piece of paper.

"Here's the address for the spa that you two are going to today. You're expected there at 11. Have a good time and…I'm going back to bed." He then exited the room leaving just me and my mom.

"Spa? What spa?" My mom asked when Edward was gone.

"Um, Edward arranged for us to go to on a spa trip today. You know just the girls."

"What, doesn't he want to come with us?" She joked. We both laughed lightly and I had the feeling that today was going to be a good day. I glanced at the clock sitting on the counter and jumped up from my chair. It was ten o'clock already!

"Mom, we had better get going. We're supposed to be at the spa in an hour and it'll take us at least 45 minutes to get there." She looked at the clock as well and after brushing her teeth thoroughly, we hopped in her car and were on our way.

The spa had Edward sent us to was extravagant beyond belief. The building itself was a stellar white and was surrounded by palm trees and gardens that hurt your nose when you passed them. It felt as if buried treasure could be hidden anywhere. When we got inside there was a bird cage with exotic birds, filling the room with their sweet melodies. The walls were painted soft beige and were lined with rows of cushioned chairs and bamboo plants. The room's centerpiece was a large Zen garden. A fountain bubbled gently in a corner.

"May I help you?" The receptionist asked politely from behind the desk. She had oddly pale skin for a Floridian and her long black hair accented it. She wore a white shirt with a button front and a silver chain around her neck. The name tag on the front of her shirt identified her as Destiny. '_Hmm… like Hannah Montana or Miley Cyrus or whoever_.' I thought. I then banished that thought as this girl was clearly at least five years older than her and I was sure that she wouldn't appreciate the association.

"Yes. Um- reservation under Swan?" I guessed that Edward had probably set it up under my name. The receptionist scrolled down the list quickly.

"Nope, sorry but there's nothing under that name." she replied.

"Dwyer?" She scrolled the list a second time.

"Nope." Had we come to the right place? I was certain this had been the address Edward had given me…Then one last possibility popped into my head.

"Is it under Cullen?" I asked. She didn't even bother looking at the list this time.

"Oh, yes!" She said, suddenly cheery. "I spoke with Edward just the other day. So, you must be 'Mrs. Cullen and guest'?"

"Not yet." I said, holding up the chain on my neck so she could see the ring. She smiled as she admired it from where she sat.

"So are you here for a bachelorette party sort of thing?"

"Actually it's more of a 'You've got to tell your mother sooner or later' sort of thing."

"I see." She glanced over at my mother behind me and giggled at my predicament. Not very encouraging.

"Well… you're signed up for an all-day platinum package which means that basically you get any treatment you want all day and we just charge the cost to Mr. Cullen." She seemed very enthusiastic as a person and she talked with her hands a lot. It reminded me of Alice back home. "So what would you like to start with?"

"Mom?" I called over my shoulder to her.

"What?" She asked, dazed. She had been totally preoccupied with the birds and I had pulled her from her train of thought.

"What treatment would you like to start with?"

"How about a massage? Ooh-or a mud bath! I've always wanted to try that."

"Mud bath it is." I said turning back to Destiny.

"Right this way." She instructed and led us down a large white hallway. After the mud bath, Mom and I had a massage, a pedicure, and some treatment where they wrapped you up in tinfoil which made me feel like as comfortable as a giant baked potato. After that one I led her out into the extravagant garden for a pleasant walk. Everything seemed fresh and alive here. It was refreshing just to be among the colorful vegetation and I could tell that it was having an effect on my mother as well. She was obviously very happy.

"How are things with Phil?" I asked after a little while.

"They're really good." She said thoughtfully, "He still isn't around as much as I would like, but that's just because of the season. It's nice in the off season because then I don't have to worry about away games, but he still has to do a lot of training. He's always tired when he gets home. But still…we're both happy with how things are." She stopped then to admire one flower in particular in the garden whose colors stood out even in this space. I believe it's called a Bird of Paradise.

"How are things with Edward?" I flinched as the words left her mouth. She spoke so calmly and absently that she could not possibly have any idea of the answer she would receive.

"Actually, Mom, that's kind of what I wanted to come here to talk to you about…"

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Hi, guys. I don't think I should really put this on the internet, but I'm going to anyway. My neighbor/friend/employer Paul had a heart attack the other day. He needs bypass surgery and I've been babysitting his grandkids lately while the adults are at the hospital. So I'm going to ask those of you who read this and are religious to keep him and his wife, Janet, in your prayers.

Thank you and God Bless. (I'm Catholic)


	15. Chapter 14

Eclipse chapter 14:

**Disclaimer: I own Twilight…Oops, wait…No I Don't.**

**Note: This chapter is dedicated to kikat, PinkDrink, JulietsInsaneNurse, and EmilyMCullen. You are wonderful and I think you must also be miracle workers.**

**Eclipse chapter 14:**

My mom stared at me, mouth agap, with her eyes nearly bugging out of her head. I pressed my lips into a hard line and looked down at my feet. When I looked back, her expression was still unchanged. At least she wasn't yelling.

"For goodness sakes, Mom, don't look at me like that." The look was really starting to creep me out.

"Bella…are you sure? I mean…do you want to get married to him. Edward's a nice boy, but this is a huge commitment…and…and I just don't think that you're ready for this." I knew it. I knew she would react like this. I suppose I couldn't blame her. But somehow, I couldn't force myself to care. That didn't mean that I didn't want her to approve, though.

"Yes, Mom. I've never been more sure about anything in my entire life." Well, that sort of depends on what you were talking about. Edward I was certain about. Marriage was a different matter. She didn't look convinced.

"Well, he's certainly rich. You'll likely have every luxury you could ever want, but will that really make you happy?"

"Do you actually think that I would ever be able to marry Edward for his money? I love him, Mom. It has nothing to do with money, or family, or looks. It's just about him and me and the fact that we love each other." I spoke with conviction and every word I said made me stronger as it slipped from my lips. I love Edward and I hated to think that my own mother could think that I would marry for _any _other reason. She knew I wasn't that shallow. She looked at her feet for a long moment before releasing a single laugh and returning her gaze to me.

"You really do love him, don't you?" She said, tears in her eyes.

"More than you could ever know." Suddenly her mood switched, from worried and doubtful to happiness and pride.

"So, where's the ring?" I smiled silently and lifted the chain from my neck to show her the glittering thing that had caused so much trouble. Her hand pressed over her heart adoringly as she noticed it for the first time (though I had been wearing it all day).

"It's beautiful." She assured me and placed one tiny, warm hand against my cheek. "My baby girl is growing up." She had missed the 'growing up' thing by a few years, but I didn't mention it and let her have this moment.

The rest of the day at the spa passed uneventfully and it seemed that the only real change was that the ring had moved from the chain to its new permanent home, my left ring finger. Mom spent the rest of the day talking about the wedding and how it should be held in the summer because that's when my skin had the most color. I told her that I wanted to keep it small so it would probably be held in the Cullen's backyard (though that didn't really imply small). We talked about dresses, cakes, bachelorette parties, the whole thing. I put on a happy face and I found that the more we talked about it, the more my terror seemed to fade. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all.

When we got back home around four o'clock, we found Edward and Phil in the living room waiting for us. Edward looked up from the couch at me and smiled knowingly. He obviously heard Renee's thoughts and was glad that I had actually had the guts to tell her. When I looked at Phil, he had the same smile.

"Ah, Bella." Phil said, "Edward just told me the good news."

"I know, isn't it wonderful?!" My mom burst. I turned at her, amazed at how she had turned her opinion on the subject matter so quickly. I had to press my lips together to keep from laughing

"Yes, it certainly is." He looked between me and Edward, "I know you two will be very happy together."

Then my world seemed complete. Everyone knew now and they were all okay with it. All the things I had been worrying about the past week had been dealt with and Edward and I could finally move forward with our lives.

**Jacob:**

I picked up the phone and dialed the all too familiar number. There was only one reason why the leeches would come back; Bella. The bastard loves her and he had come back for her. Soon enough I new that they would leave again, but this time he planned to take her with. But of course not as a human, no… as one of them. She would follow him as she always does and there is no way that I can let that happen.

"Hello?" Charlie answered the phone.

"Hey, Charlie, it's Jake. Is Bella home?" I needed to talk to her. I needed to convince her to leave him.

"No, I'm afraid she went on a long weekend with Edward to visit her Mom."

Damn.

"When will she be back?" This was probably a conversation better made in person anyway.

"They'll be back Sunday evening. They have school Monday."

"Alright, thanks." I said quickly and hung up on him. Bella's in Florida…with _him_?! Why? Unless…no, that can't be happening. Was he asking permission to marry her?! NO! That parasite gave up any claim he had on her when left those many months ago.

She's mine. Edward can't have her.

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Alright, _NOW_ Jacob is OOC. I did gain a lot of sympathy for him in Breaking Dawn, so I don't hate him. Listen, I needed a main villain and with Victoria dead…Jacob is the next best candidant (sorry Jacob lovers). And for those of you who are curious, I'm leaving Renesme out of this story. There might be a little someone else, though. I'll decide later.

Breaking Dawn was AMAZING!! No other word for it. (I've been meaning to put that in here for a while).

Paul's surgery went fine. He's currently in his house on a bed in the living room. Thank you guys for keeping him in your thoughts and in your prayers.


	16. Chapter 15

Eclipse chapter 15:

**Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha…Er…I mean Twilight.**

**Note: This chapter is dedicated to my newest reader, (drum roll) sXySuMmErLuVr!! I'm so sorry I haven't been able to update lately. I hope you're still reading. And You're right; Breaking Dawn rocked!**

**Eclipse chapter 15:**

The whole rest of the trip was smooth sailing for Edward and me. Every day my mom and I did some new activity so she didn't even have time to be suspicious about his never coming out in the daytime. At night we all had gone to see a concert as well as a musical that happened to be in town. Mom and Phil already decided that it didn't matter what was happening at the time- they would be there for my wedding. My feelings on the matter had become more and more happy and I hated to admit it…but I was actually looking forward to this (a little).

Edward and I were currently on the plane to head back home, awaiting take off. I sat quite comfortably curled up against him with my head on his shoulder and his cool arm wrapped around me lovingly. I looked up at his beautiful face for a moment to find him grinning at me, amused.

"What?" I asked him, leaning away.

"Nothing." He explained, "I'm just extremely happy right now. Now that you're mother knows about the engagement, Well…it seems like there's nothing that we need to worry about now."

"Yeah, except the wedding." I muttered under my breath.

"Oh, come on. It won't be that bad." He kissed me lightly on the lips and I felt humiliated that that was all it took for my heart to start jumping around erratically.

"I'm really going to miss that." He said sadly, his smile fading. His face twisted in agony at the knowledge of what he was going to have to do before this October. I placed a hand gently on his cheek and looked into his amber eyes.

"I know what I'm doing." I assured him. One corner of his mouth lifted for a half second before falling again. He took my hand in both of his and kissed our entwined fingers.

"Yeah, I know." Through the contact of our hands I was able to feel all the emotions inside of him as if they were my own. The confusion, the fear, the uncertainty, but most of all -the love. He was so scared that he would lose everything he cared about, but he was determined because he knew what his reason for all of this; me. I was amazed how I was able to feel all of this- but it was all so crystal clear. I tried to send him my own emotions to try to provide him so sort of reassurance or comfort.

Edward and I both rolled our eyes as his cell phone rang. Annoyed, he released my hand and dug the new phone out of his pocket. I glanced over his shoulder to check the caller ID. '_Of course'_ I thought to myself, '_another Kodak moment ruined by Alice'_. Looking at me apologetically, Edward picked up the phone.

Alice's voice buzzed on the other end of the line with high- pitched concern. She spoke too low for me to hear even though I was sitting less than a foot away. Obviously this was something she did not want me to hear.

"I'll deal with this when we get home." Edward said after a moment. Alice's voice burst out louder with a new found fury of words but was cut off as he hung up on her. I sat patiently for him to explain, but he looked away from me and said nothing.

"What is it?" I asked.

"It's nothing." He stated harshly, trying to mark the end of the conversation.

"You always say 'It's nothing' when it's something." I prompted, looking at him warily. To my amazement, his mood suddenly shifted and he laughed.

"You're right; I do always say that, don't I? Well, don't worry. This isn't 'nothing', but it's nothing that you need to worry about." He wrapped he arm around me again and kissed my hair. "Everything will be all right."

Those last five words sent a shiver of terror down my spine. Isn't that what the couples in the movies always said before one of them died?

The flight from Jacksonville had been long and uneasy, but I felt a strange sense of relief as we landed under the heavy Seattle cloud cover. The greenness that I had once viewed as a cold, dark, alien planet now seemed to be the welcoming signs of home. When we landed at about 7:00 am, Edward led me quickly to the airport parking lot when we found Edward's silver Volvo waiting for us. I smiled as I sat down in the passenger seat and Edward turned the key. The purr of the engine was so familiar that I almost felt as though we were home already. Edward drove steadily out of the city, but the second that the tires hit the highway, he stomped on the gas and we were back in Forks in merely a few hours.

I was nearly bouncing up out of my seat as we turned onto my street, but Edward had a very different reaction. He slowed his speed down dramatically and his hands tightened on the wheel. I could almost hear his teeth grinding together from where I sat. My enthusiasm also died quickly as we turned into my driveway and found that the chief's car was gone, but there was a VW Rabbit parked in its place.

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Sorry, Sorry, Sorry. I haven't posted anything in like 3 weeks, but I have had absolutely NO free time. School starts the day after tomorrow and I've been dragged to at least 50 shops in the past few days for last minute school shopping. Not to mention high school Open House, and End-Of-Summer parties, and BBQs and friends who just _**won't leave me alone**_. I know that that sounds mean, but when the phone rings off the hook for days on end…I tend to get a little annoyed.

The only reason this chapter is so short is because I have no time and I feel like I owe it to you guys to post something. Who knows, there might be another short chapter tomorrow. And I promise-next chapter there WILL be a fight scene.


	17. Chapter 16

Writing Note: The Volvo in my story is the S60R, got it

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or 'The day the Volvo died' by LolliliciousLolli on YouTube. It's a funny video, you guys should check it out.**

**Note: This chapter is dedicated to the ever funny MickeyandMinnie who sent me possibly the most thought out review I have ever received. Kudos to you.**

**Writing Note: The Volvo in my story is the S60R, got it? That car that they are using in the movie is a freakin' C30 and it may be **_**A**_** Volvo, but it is not **_**THE**_** Volvo. **_**THE**_** Volvo is the S60R. The S60R is a sexy car, The C30 is not. Hatchbacks are not sexy.**

**Eclipse chapter 16:**

The car sat comfortably in my driveway which made it hard to understand Edward's reaction. So Jacob was here, so what? He pulled into the driveway at a snail's pace which is extremely unusual for mister need-for-speed. He parked the Volvo beside Jake's Rabbit and cut the engine just as Jacob stepped out of my house. I moved to unbuckle my seatbelt, but Edward stopped me.

"Stay in the car." He instructed. Then it dawned on me; this is what Edward had told Alice he'd deal with over the phone. This was NOT good. I turned in my seat to see Jacob glaring at Edward from the sidewalk. The look in his eyes frightened me; I had never seen him this angry in my life. He was shaking slightly as if he were cold, but I knew better. It was obviously taking all the strength and control that he had not to phase right here in front of my house. I had to get out there and calm him down before something happened.

"No." I replied forcefully, "Jacob is my friend. He won't do anything to hurt me. It'll be fine." I went to unbuckled again, but Edward grabbed my hand in his own and placed something small in my hand and wrapping my fingers around it. He then released my hand to unbuckle his own seatbelt and remove his jacket. I uncurled my hand to find the keys to the Volvo resting in my palm.

"Edward, what-?"

"If I'm not back in ten minutes, I need you to get out of here, okay? It doesn't matter where you go, just get away from _here_." He opened his door to get out, but then turned back to me. I sat frozen in fear as a few tears escaped from my eyes. What had Alice foreseen? What was going to happen? Edward placed a cool hand on my cheek and brushed the tears away with his thumb.

"I love you, Bella. Don't forget that." He kissed me hard on my lips for a half second before he disappeared. I spun my head around just quick enough to see Edward and Jacob disappear into the forest, running with Edward just barely ahead of Jacob as if leading him. Leading him to somewhere that they could fight.

Panic coursed through me faster than a bullet. No matter who won this fight, I knew who would lose; me. Whether it would be Edward, the love of my life, or Jacob, the one who was there for me when Edward wasn't. I dropped the keys on the seat and jumped from my seat. I kicked the door open roughly I left the car running as fast as I could into the trees.

'_What are you going to do when you find them_?' The pessimistic voice in my head asked.

'_I have no idea_.' I thought back.

'_And how exactly do you intend to find them_?' Shit. I stopped dead just as I entered the forest. How _**would**_ I find them? I already knew that following Edward was impossible…I shook my head violently to dispel the memory, but this was exactly where the event happened. It wouldn't be pushed back to enable me to think about the task at hand. I happened to glance down for a second to see the ring on my finger, smiling up at me. The horrific memories stopped instantly and only two words registered in my mind; '_Find him_.'

I looked all around me and walked deeper into the endless forest searching for clues- a trail of some sort. Edward would be impossible to follow, but Jacob was a different story. As I went deeper into the abyss, a flash of white caught my eyes. I jogged over to it and discovered that it was a shredded T-shirt. I went further and found the remains of the rest of Jacob's clothes and shoes. I knew that this trail couldn't lead me very far, but luckily, where the trail of clothes ended, the trail of destruction began.

Fallen tree limbs and giant footprints led my way through the maze of trees as I ran as fast as my legs could carry me. The adrenalin pulsing within me numbed the agony that I knew my lungs would be feeling if I were running under lesser circumstances. Sweat mixed with tears as I ran, fell, and ran again. I couldn't stop. I needed to find them. I needed to stop them. I knew that I was getting close when the sounds of a thunderstorm started echoing through the trees. Trees shivered and I could hear the animalistic cries that could only come from them. Edward's primal snarls and Jacob's feral snarls mixed in a soundtrack that would put any horror movie look like a chick-flick.

Then I found them in a scene that was my worst nightmare incarnate. Edward and Jacob stood facing each on opposite sides of a tiny clearing in the forest. Jake's fur stood on end as he crouched, prepared to strike while his lips curled back in a snarl to reveal his menacing teeth. His dark eyes glared at Edward and as I searched them from where I stood, I only saw a creature filled with loathing and hate. I couldn't find my best friend. Edward on the opposite end of the clearing didn't look any less menacing. He was half crouched with his hands curled into claws, more creature than man. His face wore a frozen mask of sheer focus and his lips a hard line. But his eyes were the most terrifying feature. His eyes…which had been amber this morning…were now coal black. All the two of them saw was the fight. They didn't even notice that I was standing there. The tears flowed more freely as I looked between them and neither face looked familiar. These weren't the men I knew. I didn't know who they were.

Jacob released a ripping growl as he lunged at Edward with blinding speed.

"STOP IT!" I screamed suddenly. Both of their heads snapped up to focus on my tear stained face; Jacob's teeth a half inch from Edward's throat while my _fiancé_, I thought disgustedly, had one hand on each of Jacob's jaws. "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU TWO?! YOU'RE BOTH _**IDIOTS**_!!" I screamed the last word at the top of my lungs and the echo from the forest helped to add to the effect. My hands balled into tight fists at my sides as I watched the two of them. Edward released Jacob's jaw after a second and they took a few steps away. They were more afraid of me now than they were of each other. Now that I had managed to get their attention, I allowed myself to calm down…a little bit. I decided to scold Jacob first.

"Jacob, what exactly was your plan here, huh? You were just going to kill Edward and expect that that would be _okay_ with me?! Do you think that I would **ever** be able to forgive you for taking Edward away from me? I think that by now you should know that I would never speak to you again." I stared him down with my gaze that filled him with guilt that maybe he hadn't thought this all the way through. His head fell slightly and he looked at the ground rather than at me. I glanced back at Edward and saw that he wasn't afraid to look me square in the face. Well, that just wouldn't do. I had to level the playing field between the two of them to ensure that neither one would ever consider fighting again.

"And _You_." I accused, pointing a finger at him. "I know that you know better than to be out here **attacking** my best friend. You're a mind-reader, for cryin' out loud! You could kick his ass any day of the week, and yet for some unknown reason, you are still out here _**encouraging**_ this!! **Why**?!" Edward looked at the forest floor as well. Seeing that my job was finished here, I decided to separate them from each other was the only thing left to do.

"Jacob, go home." I said in a harsher tone than necessary. "Edward, you too." At that, both of their heads snapped up to stare at me in utter amazement. I said nothing, but turned my back on them and stared heading back down the trail of destruction that led back to my home. I couldn't look at either of them right now.

I hadn't actually seen either of them run ahead of me, but when I got back to the house I found that the only car left in the driveway was my ancient truck. Unfortunately, Edward was leaning against it, waiting for me.

"What do you want?" I asked. I would have thought that my instructions had been clear enough. I didn't want to see him.

"I want a chance to explain."

"Don't bother." I said, reaching for the key under the eaves and turning it in the lock.

"Bella please-" he begged, grabbing my arm.

"I totally have a stake in my back pocket, Edward, and Buffy Summers on speed dial. Don't. Push. Me." We both knew that neither of those things would hurt him, but he felt the anger pulsating off of me and he dropped his hand.

"If you want to talk later, just leave your window open. I'll be there." Giving up on talking with me now, he turned away from me and walked at a human pace down the street.

That night I told Charlie that I was suffering from jet lag and went to bed early. After changing into my Pajamas I flopped down on my bed and tried to think through what I had seen in the woods earlier. The sight of the two most important people in my life braced and ready to kill each other still haunted me. They hadn't even seemed like humans anymore. No, they had seemed like the nightmarish creatures modern society made them out to be. It had actually scared me. And then there was my reaction to Edward afterward…

I walked over to window and slid it open slowly.

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There it is. I started this entire fanfic just so that I could write this one chapter. Now I can start the school year in peace. (sigh) I'm happy. But now what is Bella going to do? Well, that's for me to know and you to find out.

P.S: I got the 'stake' quote from 'The day the Volvo died' by LolliliciousLolli on YouTube. Credit where credit is due.


	18. Chapter 17

Eclipse chapter17:

**Disclaimer: I own a Twilight calendar, but I don't own Twilight.**

**Note: This chapter is dedicated to my friend Peter, who I was finally able to get in touch with after two years! It was a little hard since I'm in Singapore and I'm in Wisconsin, but I finally got to talk to him and so I'm very happy right now.**

**Eclipse chapter17:**

I sat back down on the edge of my bed tensely to wait for Edward. As the sun began to set I straightened my shirt and patted down my hair until it was practically pasted to my scalp. It didn't make any sense for me to be worried about my appearance at a time like this, but that didn't stop me from getting up and changing my outfit before darkness overtook the skies. I tried to think through exactly what I was going to say to him, but I couldn't find any words that seemed to work. In addition to that, my mouth suddenly felt parched and I went to the bathroom once more for a drink. As I stared at myself in the mirror, I saw all my emotions written across my face like a book. I took several deep breaths and tried to force the self-disappointment and fear back down inside me, but it was still there as if I'd written all over my face with a pen. I sighed in defeat and went back to my room.

I wasn't surprised when I walked back to my darkened room to find Edward already there. He sat on my bed leaning against the headrest with his legs laying straight in front of him. He looked at me with sad eyes like a child's; the perfect opposite of what he had been this afternoon. He didn't speak, but watched me intently as I sat near him on the bed just a few inches out of his reach. I looked at the space between us, loathing it, but did not move to touch him. I didn't know if he would want me to. Silence overtook the room until I finally decided to break it.

"I'm sorry." I murmured.

"You didn't do anything wrong Bella." He assured me. I was amazed when he spoke, not because he sounded angry, but because his voice completely lacked the confidence that I had come to expect from him.

"'_Buffy Summers on speed dial'_? That was wrong of me, Edward. I shouldn't have lashed out at you like that." I could scarcely believe that I had said something like that to him, but I had. And I hated myself for it.

"No, you were right. I was stupid to actually fight Jacob like that. I let my temper control me and I actually…_lost_ myself. I didn't see you when you arrived; all I saw was what I wanted. And I wanted him dead." I brought my eyes to his face, but he stared at the floor and refused to look at me. Anguish tainted his voice as he muttered "I'm a monster."

He closed his eyes then and refused to say more. I felt physical pain inside me as his words reverberated in my mind. I thought back to the forest and what I had seen in his face. He had looked like a creature, but I knew that Edward was still there. He could never be a monster; he was an angel-my angel. A monster was a thing that couldn't love, but Edward did love…he loved _me_.

"Hold me." I asked after a moment of unbearable silence.

"I can't." He replied, his voice pained.

I didn't speak as I slowly got up and sat myself facing him on his lap. I sat on knees with one leg resting on either side of his. I picked up his arms and wrapped them behind my back. When I released them they fell limply to my sides. I sighed sadly and placed my hands on the back of his cold neck. His eyes were open now, but his head was still turned away from me to face the window.

"Look at me." I ordered softly. His head didn't turn.

"_Look_ at me." I said again, just as softly. When he didn't respond, I pressed one hand against his cheek and urged him to meet my gaze. The pain in his eyes cut me and I felt my own tears forming as I continued. "You are not a monster. You never were a monster and you will never be a monster. You are Edward Cullen, and I love you." A few tears escaped my eyes as I said this, but I felt much better having said it.

I knew that I had reached him then because he stopped being limp. One of his hands pressed against the small of my back and the other came up to cup my face. I leaned into his touch as he wiped my tears away with his thumb.

"I will _always_ love you Bella." He promised. He then proceeded to seal his promise as all promises should be sealed; with a kiss.

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Brooke: _Awww_, that was so sweet.

SPC: Yeah, it was.

Brooke: So…what's going to happen with Jacob?

SPC: Not telling.

Brooke: Please?

SPC: No.

Brooke: Please?

SPC: No.

….This may take a while…


	19. Chapter 18

Eclipse chapter 18:

**Disclaimer: I do not own the best book series ever written. I do not own Twilight.**

**Note: This chapter is dedicated to anyone still reading this and those loyal readers who have put up with my long absence.**

**I just want to give a little shout out to Avril Lavigne right now because I can not seem to focus on my writing unless I'm listening to her music. Avril, thank you.**

**Eclipse chapter 18:**

The next morning I awoke exactly where I should be, at home in Edward's arms. I inhaled deeply and sighed as I took in the sweet scent of him. It was still dark out, probably around six in the morning, but I felt completely rested and at ease in that particular moment. Edward's arm tightened around my waist and I felt his lips press lightly to my hair. I smiled.

"Good morning." He whispered.

"Good morning." I replied with a yawn. I turned in his arms so that I was facing him. I noticed that his eyes were light butterscotch today. He must have gone hunting before he came over last night. When I glanced down I saw that his clothes were the same as they had been the night before. That was strange; he normally left to change clothes after I fell asleep.

"Why didn't you leave last night?" I asked him.

"I just didn't want to let you go." He replied, brushing my hair back. My smiled faded when I realized that he was lying to me.

"You were worried about Jacob, weren't you?" I accuse, the anger clear in my voice. His face hardened as well when I saw through his bluff. He looked down, ashamed and I wordlessly got out bed and grabbed my clothes for the day without looking at them. He was un-freakin'-believable. Spending the entire night with me just to make sure Jacob wouldn't get near me. What, was I in the witness protection program or something?! With an exasperated sigh I grabbed my engagement ring and headed to the bathroom.

As I combed through the snarls in my hair I stared at the girl's face in the mirror of the girl whom I didn't recognize. She had the same facial shape as me, the same brown eyes, the same almost colorless skin, but there was something different about her. I felt like I was experiencing some sort of de ja vu instead of looking in a mirror. I knew this girl, but I had never seen her before. Her face was almost vacant, but not quite. It was as if she had forgotten some small part of her soul on the school bus when she had gotten home. The majority of her was there, but not all of her.

And I knew exactly where that small piece of me was. La Push. Right then and there I knew that I had to see him. I had to make this right. Today after school I would go. The girl's face in the mirror brightened slightly at the thought and she was becoming more recognizable by the second. I finished brushing my hair and went back to Edward.

I found him standing by the window, staring at the sheeting rain as it pounded against the glass. I cleared my throat and he turned back to face me. He was clearly unrepentant, but that didn't matter. At least he wasn't mad at me. After all that happened yesterday and last night I had no right to bring up Jacob like that. If I knew Edward, he just wanted to protect me. Was that so wrong?

"Hey." I said in a small voice. He smiled crookedly.

"Hey." Neither one of us said anything for a moment because neither one of us knew who was right. Which one of us had more right to be angry? Me; for Edward not being forward with me, or Edward; for me doubting his reasons and showing so much concern in the affairs of his blood enemy. Instead of fighting we decided to just let it drop and went about our morning the same as any other.

When we arrived at school Alice seemed just as perky as ever, but as soon as Edward looked away she gave me a long, hard look which confirmed my theory that she already knew about my plans to see Jacob and that she wanted very badly to stop me and tell Edward. I returned her look with a pleading one. I knew that Edward would never let me go to La Push after what happened, but I had to see Jacob. 'Please.' I mouthed to her. She pursed her perfect lips for a moment, but said nothing as she walked of to her first hour class leaving us at the door to history.

During history the teacher was droning on in a supernaturally boring speech about the French Revolution and all the students occupied themselves with various forms of entertainment. Most kids doodled or passed notes. Others just sat and daydreamed. But none of these seemed to entertain Edward, so he had found what was to him the best game in existence; messing with my heart rate. Everyday he would sit directly behind me for this soul purpose. He was pretty well behaved for the most part, but whenever Mike or someone had inappropriate thoughts that involved me he tended to be a lot worse. I glanced over and caught Mike looking at me, but he quickly looked away when I caught him and continued to stare into nothingness.

It was going to be a bad day.

At the end of the class hour I was nearly hyperventilating and I had shakes running up and down through my body. My ear was numb from Edward blowing on so much and as we walked down the hall I had to clutch my books to my chest to keep myself from jumping on Edward and kissing him in the middle of the crowded hallway.

When Alice arrived she took one glance at me and rolled her eyes.

"You have really got to stop doing that to her." Alice scolded him, "One of these days she's gonna have a heart attack in the middle of class." I blushed a deep red as Edward chuckled.

"It's not funny." I muttered. He laughed again and kissed the top of my head. My heart almost leaped out my chest and I quickly ran over to where Alice was before I could lose it. "I think I'll walk with Alice today." I said. Edward shook his head and walked away to his next class hour.

"Don't do it." Alice whispered the second he was out of earshot.

"Are you gonna tell him?" I asked.

"No." she said, astonishing me. "I don't like not being able to see you, but nothing extremely bad is going happen if you go. But Edward is going to be pissed; at both of us." I sighed.

"Thanks Alice." I said.

"But if I do this for you," she said in a fairly tale-like voice, "you must grant me one favor in return."

"What?" I asked warily.

"You have to let me throw you a bachlorette party!"

I sighed. "Deal." Alice smiled mischievously as she dropped me off at class. That pixie was gonna be murder to live with for an eternity. But at least she wouldn't tell Edward.

I spent the rest of the school day plotting my grand escape to La Push.

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I know, I know. I haven't posted anything in forever, but five advanced placement courses, German club, and being a teacher assistant are killing me. And I'm going the local acting group next week. So writing has kinda been pushed down on the importance list. Don't worry, I will NEVER abandon my readers.


	20. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: I am going to meet Edi Gathegi, Rachel Lefevre, and Taylor Lautner next Friday, but that does not imply in any way that I own the characters that they are portraying.**

**Note: I would like to dedicate this chapter to my newest reader whom I've received a review from: ****twilight *fantastic*. ****Thanks for the compliment, but as I said in that chapter: The Buffy thing was a work of someone else's… sorry to disappoint. And for e****dwrdsvampiregrl ****who I'm sorry to have left hanging previously.**

**PS: To the people who design the fanfiction website: What the crap! I can't find anything now and it's a pain for me to navigate the site! Please put the site back the way it was!**

**Eclipse chapter 19:**

I remained silent in the Volvo as Edward drove me home after school. It was obvious that he knew I was hiding something, but he didn't want to question me and I wasn't about to tell him. Instead he just stared at the road and listened to some classical music that I didn't recognize while I sat quietly and twiddled my thumbs. What was he thinking? Could it be possible that he already knew my plans to see Jacob and was planning ways to stop me? If Alice had let her mind wander for just half a second, then Edward would know and there would be no chance of me ever escaping.

"So, what were you and Alice talking about earlier?" he asked conversationally when we were already half way down my street. I couldn't lie, but that didn't mean I had to tell the whole truth.

"A dark and depressing subject which I do not wish to repeat." I replied coldly, remembering what Alice had asked for in return of her 'favor'.

My reaction obviously amused him as his lips twitched into a small smile. "What was it?" he prompted.

"My bachelorette party." I said, acid searing in my voice. I glanced over at him. "I assume you already know this from Alice."

His smile grew more prominent. "Yes. Alice has been planning it all day. She didn't think about anything else." I breathed a deep sigh of relief in my mind. "She's debating on different kinds of alcohol and whether or not to hire strippers." My relief disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"What?!" I shrieked. What could Alice be thinking? Didn't she know me at all? How could she possibly think that I would EVER tolerate alcohol OR strippers at my party?!

"Don't worry; I think she decided against the strippers." Edward said with a laugh.

"Oh, thank god." I gasped, clutching my chest. Only then did I notice that we had already parked in my driveway and all I had to do to escape was just to step out of the car with a found farewell and walk a few short feet to my door.

"Well," I began, changing the subject, "I'd better get going. Charlie will be home at five and I have got to get some of my homework done." I leaned over and gave Edward what was MEANT to be a quick on the lips, but it ended up being a smoldering, seemingly endless kiss that only ended because I really had to leave. Then I hopped out of the car and walked quickly to the door. I opened the door and waved goodbye as Edward drove away.

I stood there on the doorstep for about thirty seconds to make sure that Edward was a good distance away before I reclosed the and bolted down the driveway to my truck. I dug the keys out of my bag and turned them in the ignition. I felt like a runaway prisoner, but instead of evading the law, I was evading my fiancé. Just as I was turning out of the driveway I stopped to think about Edward for just a second. How would he respond to this? Would he feel angry, betrayed? This would hurt him, I knew, but I had to set things right, then I would never have to see Jacob again. Then I decided to stop being a chicken and started on my way to La Push.

I felt my nerves twisting tightly in my stomach as I crossed the boundary line between the vampires and werewolves. There was no chance of Edward following me now and I hadn't seen the Volvo tailing me as I'd come. Maybe I could get back and shower before he ever found out. Yeah, fat chance. A minute later I arrived at Jacob's house and the nerves instantly melted away as I spotted Jake working on a car in the garage as I had seen him do so many times before. He was covered in grease and grime but I was happy to see him all the same.

I hopped out of the truck and closed the door loud enough for him to finally turn his head and notice me standing there. He looked absolutely dumbfounded that I was standing in front of him at that moment with his eyes looking me up and down to be sure I wasn't just some illusion.

"Hey." I greeted with a small timid smile.

"Hey." He replied, still sounding awestruck. He walked over to me slowly and looked me straight in the eyes before he suddenly pulled me into a tight bear hug. I gasped when I felt my air being cut off, but when I tried to protest, my voice was muffled by Jacob's thick shoulder.

"Jacob!" I gasped, turning my head to the side.

"What?"

"_AIR!" _I gasped with the last of my oxygen. He released me instantly when he realized that he was hurting me. He took a step away to give me room to breathe and watched me worriedly as I took deep, heaving breaths.

"Sorry." He muttered, looking embarrassed.

"It's okay." I assured him, "It's good to see you too." He smiled at me then and taking my hand in the effortless friendship that I remembered, he led me down to the beach to talk.

An hour later I found myself running down the streets of La Push and hopping into my truck as quickly as I could. My wrists were bruised from Jake had grabbed me and my right arm was bleeding from the many times I had fallen trying to get away from him. Sam was still down there, holding Jake off as long as he could so that I could make a decent getaway. I locked the doors and turned the keys in the ignition. Before I threw my truck into reverse I lifted one hand to my neck. I could feel the tenderness of that spot. No doubt I would have some bruises there, too.

My meeting with Jacob hadn't been the happy reunion I had hoped for. Or even the guilt filled outing that I had expected. No, after we had gotten on the subject of Edward, I soon found Jake yelling and claiming that if death was what I wanted, then he'd grant that wish right then and there. I had been crying when Jake had pinned me to the ground with his large hands wrapped around my throat. I had tried to fight him, but what chance did I have against a werewolf? Thankfully, just when things were getting dark and my vision blurring, Sam had come flying out of the woods and thrown Jake away from me. "_**Run, Bella!"**_ He'd screamed. And that was exactly what I had done. I didn't look back, I didn't yell for help, I just ran. And there was no way that I was EVER coming back.

My heart didn't stop racing until I crossed the border live out of werewolf territory. I didn't see the Volvo anywhere, for which I was thankful. How would Edward react if he saw me like this? I couldn't very easily hide this from him and the Cullens, but I was sure that Alice could help me with some makeup so that the rest of the world didn't find out. I refused to think about Charlie's face if he saw a ring of bruises on my neck.

When I got halfway to Forks, I pulled over on the side of the road and cried. I could still see Jacob's face in my mind from when he had tried to steal my life from me. His eyes had been filled with the same hatred that I had seen when he had faced Edward in the clearing. That face…I would never be able to escape it. That face would haunt me for the rest of my life. I sat for what seemed like an eternity on the side of the road, not sure what I should do. I didn't even move when I watched a shiny silver Volvo com flying around the corner and park beside my truck.

He didn't say a word as climbed into the truck beside me and took me into his arms. He cool of his skin felt good against compared to the fire that had burned in my lungs not hour before. I had been such an idiot, a naïve fool to have thought that just seeing Jacob would make everything okay. My sobs soon became audible as they shook my body, but Edward just held me closer and stroked my hair as he rocked me gently back and forth to calm me. When I finally ran out of tears to shed, I leaned back from him and looked at his perfect face.

His face remained emotionless as he brushed my hair away from my neck to examine the purple bruises there. I could see the brief flash of rage and anguish that appeared for a half a second before he suppressed them again. I lifted a hand to hide the markings on my neck, but then his attentions shifted to wounds on my wrist and arm. Quickly, I lowered my arm and hid it behind my back, but it was far too late. Edward had seen the damage that Jake had inflicted on me and I knew his nature too well to believe that he would ever forgive him.

But all the things he had done to me physically to try to kill me were nothing compared to the words that kept reverberating in Jacob's voice in my head "_You're_ _**mine**_!" He had yelled, "_He can't have you!"_

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I warned you people that I needed a new villain and I'm sorry, but Jacob is the easy target. I think I should say right now that I thought 'The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl' sucked (though Taylor was very cute), but I love Taylor's character in 'My Own Worst Enemy'. I loved Edi Gathegi in 'House; MD'. I love Rachel Lefevre just…in general and I'm sure that they're all very good people and despite what is implied in my work: I hold absolutely nothing against them.

And in case you're not convinced; here are a few reviews that assured me that you people would not hurt me for what I put in this chapter:

EmilyMCullen: "Jacob always ruins everything…"

Kikat: "I'm an Edward lover so bring the evil Jacobness on"

EmilyMCullen: "cough-jacobshoulddie-cough" (That was my 1st review of many from her. I adore EmilyMCullen; she's awesome.)

StalkerishEmmettFan: "You're a wonderful author and it's awesome that you don't like Jacob either." (that was my first review on this story EVER)

Now with that…please don't hurt me!


	21. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: I'm gonna stop putting up disclaimers. If you haven't gotten the message by now…**

**Note: This chapter is dedicated to two people in my life. To my friend, Adam, Happy Birthday! And Mary who is taking me to see 'Wicked' on Friday! Thank you**

**Eclipse chapter 20:**

That afternoon when I examined myself in the mirror I found that I hadn't known half the extent of my own injuries. Edward had driven me home and after closing myself in the bathroom I had stripped naked to find my skin covered almost completely covered in the purple markings that would remind me what had happened for weeks to come. My legs were hurt from the many times I had kicked Jake to get him away from me, my back was cut up from being slammed against the rocks that lined first beach and last but not least, there was a deep cut spreading from beneath my ear to my jaw line where Jacob had hit me. I was in bad shape.

I was sore everywhere from the attack and I tried to wash all the memories that kept replaying in my mind away with a shower. I stood under the water for a while and I began to sob again. I scrubbed at the bruises futilely trying to wash them off until my skin was raw, but they wouldn't disappear as I wanted them to. Frustrated, I threw the soap to the ground before my own knees gave out and I curled up in a ball in the shower, trying to make the world fade. A moment later I heard the bathroom door open and Edward walked in. He picked me up bridal style, not caring that I was naked, and wrapped me tightly into a towel to keep me warm. He carried me back to my room and set me carefully on the bed before he disappeared for a half a second, only to appear again with a cup of hot chocolate in his hand. He placed it in front of me, but I silently shook my head.

"You really should drink something." I was surprised by the sound of his voice. That was the first thing he had said to me since picking me up earlier.

"I'm fine, thanks." I replied, but my own voice made it sound very much the opposite. My voice sounded airy and scratchy and it caused me physical pain to speak. It was like having an awful case of strep throat, but with a horrid backstory. Frowning, Edward offered me the glass again and this time I accepted. The hot chocolate felt good as it slid down my throat, easing the pain slightly.

"Thank you." I said. He nodded and sat down on the bed near my feet and looked at me with a strange expression on his face. There was hurt and worry (I kinda expected that), but it was also mixed with…jealousy? He had that look that he normally had when he thought about Mike Newton, but this look was much more intense. I couldn't even guess at what he was thinking. I finished the glass and set it down on my bedside table and waited for him to start questioning, but he didn't. He just continued to stare at me with that same look.

"What?" I asked him.

"Bella, did Jacob rape you?" He stared at me with obvious pain at the thought that another man might have touched me like that.

"No." I assured him instantly, "he just tried to kill me." Rather than his rage receding, it grew as he finally was able to wrap his head around the concept.

"I'm going to kill him." He muttered, as he moved to get up.

"No!" I spoke softly, but forcefully as I grabbed his wrist. "Please, Edward, don't go. Stay here, stay with me." He didn't look pleased with my request, but he sat down all the same. I slid my hand down from his wrist to twine my fingers with his own.

"Your hands are cold." He stated as the fingers from his other hand traced the bruise markings on my wrist.

"So are yours." I said with a small smile. He smiled too, for a quarter of a second. Then he got up and grabbed me some clothes from my drawers. I made him turn around as he got dressed. It wasn't that I was shy (well, partially it was), but he still hadn't seen the many scrapes and injuries on my back to the best of my knowledge and I wanted to hide as much of that from him as I could. He didn't need to see that. I dressed in a pair of black sweat pants and a red tank which I threw an oversized sweatshirt over. Alice had obviously slipped this into my wardrobe as it read 'Dartmouth' in big green letters. I think that was the last place that she and Edward had attended medical school before coming to Forks. The phone rang.

"I'll get it." I said in a normal voice before I headed downstairs. It was probably Charlie saying he was gonna be home late. My throat was still scratchy, but it sounded miraculously better than it had before. Edward followed me with watchful eyes as I went into the kitchen as the phone rang a second time. I recognized that look.

"You're not seriously waiting for me to go into shock, are you?" I asked, grabbing the phone. Edward leaned against the counter and smiled crookedly at me. It didn't reach his eyes. "Hello?" I said into the phone.

"Bella? God, I'm so sorry!"

I sighed. "Jacob."

"Bella, please forgive me."-His innocence and sincerity rang with each word- "I didn't know what I was doing. I wasn't thinking strait-"

"Jacob, stop." I didn't care about his excuses anymore. "I can't forgive you for this one." How are you supposed to forgive someone after they've tried to kill you? I want to forgive him, but I just can't. In fact, I just want to forget him altogether.

"Bella?" The idea of me saying this had never occurred to him, apparently.

"I don't care anymore Jake. I've tried being your friend, but that just isn't enough for you. And I can't do this anymore. You're not sorry, I know you're not. Don't call me anymore, don't try to find me. Please, Jacob, just let me forget." There was silence on the other line for a brief moment before he started to fervently beg for me to reconsider.

"Bella, we can be okay again. I swear, I'll never do anything like that again. I could never hurt you-"

"You already have. Goodbye." All emotion left my face and my voice as I hung up the phone and abandoned Jacob Black forever.

_All this time I was wasting, Hoping you would come around_

_I'd been giving out chances every time And all you'd do is let me down_

_And it's taken me this long baby But I figured you out_

_And you think it would be fine again But not this time around_

_You don't have to call anymore; I won't pick up the phone_

_This is the last straw Don't wanna hurt anymore_

_And you can tell me that you're sorry_

_But I won't believe you baby, Like I did before_

_You're not sorry, Oh, no, no, no_

_Looking so innocent, I might believe you if I didn't know_

_Could've loved you all my life If you hadn't left me waiting in the cold_

_And you got to share your secrets And I'm tired of being last to know_

_And now you're asking me to listen 'Cause it's worked each time before_

_But you don't have to call anymore; I won't pick up the phone_

_This is the last straw Don't wanna hurt anymore_

_And you can tell me that you're sorry_

_But I won't believe you baby, Like I did before_

_You're not sorry, No, no, oh._

_You're not sorry, No, no, oh._

_You had me crawling for you baby And it never would have gone away, no_

_You used to shine so bright, But I watched all of it fade_

_So you don't have to call anymore; I won't pick up the phone_

_This is the last straw, There's nothing left to beg for_

_And you can tell me that you're sorry _

_But I don't believe you baby Like I did before _

_You're not sorry, No, no, oh_

_You're not sorry, No, no, oh_

_**You're not sorry**__ by Taylor Swift_

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Ahhh, drama over. Thank God. You have no idea how hard that was for me to write. Taylor is making it too hard for me to hate Jacob! He's too wonderful! ARRGHH! Well, it's over. For all of you who think that Bella should have done this in the original series, I entirely agree and I'm happy that she finally has. I guess I really don't have much to say besides that…oh wait!

If You Love Me, You'll Review

If You Hate Me, You'll Review

If You're indifferent to me…PLEASE Review

Just press the button, you know you want to.

Oh, and I should warn you guys: I only have a few more chapters to go until the end


	22. Chapter 21

**Eclipse chapter 21:**

I didn't hear from Jacob after that. I continually felt guilty, no doubt, but I couldn't bring myself to apologize. I mean, it was better this way, right? I didn't plan on being human much longer anyway and if we were doomed to be mortal enemies in my next life, what's wrong with the hatred starting a little earlier? Hatred makes separation much easier than love, at least that's what I tried to convince myself. But the problem was that I DIDN'T hate Jacob. He had tried to kill me, he had hurt me, he had insulted Edward and all the Cullens (whom I would soon be one of), but I still couldn't make myself feel the dark anger that would help me stop missing him. I just couldn't.

Graduation passed without much incident and Charlie never did notice the small scar that showed faintly along my jaw line, for which I was thankful. Edward on the other hand noticed it every day and it seemed like the first thing he would do every time he saw me was to stare at that scar and clench his jaw. I truly wanted nothing more than to forget, but how could I do that when Edward kept wordlessly reminding me. That subtle jaw clench basically screamed "I should have been there; I should have stopped him!" and I knew that he hated that he couldn't have been there and I hated that it'd hurt him. There was so much pain in my world, I felt like I was drowning in it.

Of course, Alice never allowed that to get her down. My Bachelorette party was set for two weeks after graduation and, unfortunately for me, that was tonight. She had called my mom who was coming up from Jacksonville as well as my only friends from Phoenix, Steph and Lisa. I hadn't really heard from either of them since I had moved here, but Alice felt it was imperative for any and all my friends to attend. Angela would be there as well. Jessica would not.

Steph, Lisa, and I had been friends since we were little. Lisa had been beautiful, Steph had been brilliant, and I had been…me. Lisa had moved to Seattle when we were 12, but we had continued to stay in touch over the years. She had dark, near black hair, and tan skin that had never seen a blemish. Tall and lean, she was the most beautiful person I had ever seen before I had met the Cullens. She wasn't particularly clever, but she wasn't dumb and she had the kindest heart I had ever known. Steph was almost the same. She had beautiful light brown hair and pale skin like me, but she had a good excuse. She was a native of Connecticut and she had a ton of siblings. She was the brains of our little posse, but her true love was literature. She would write about anything that involved love and she always worked our names into her stories. She never published anything, but we loved her writing all the same. I always felt like the two of them were two parts of a whole, and that together they formed the perfect person.

Alice's planned reunion had been a heartfelt one that was very…poetic for me to look at. My dad and I had been hanging out at the Cullen house working on wedding plans (we were test tasting cakes) when Alice drove up with everyone. We all (Cullens, Mom, me, my friends, and dad) stood outside greeting each other for an entire minute and when I stood back I could see the amazing contrast between the life that I had led in Phoenix and the one I had here. I went from standing in the shadowed background to the front and center stage of my story. And I couldn't have a better leading man. I looked over at Edward and smiled. He looked perfectly comfortable among my friends as if he had known them his whole life. Frankly, I didn't understand how he COULD feel that. Stephenie looked simply dumbstruck at his perfection and as Lisa looked him over, I could almost hear her purring. I for one would have been extremely uncomfortable.

I hated it when Edward had to leave for his bachelor party. Jasper and Emmett were taking him to Seattle, but refused to tell me anything more than that. He had held me in the driveway for as long as possible before he had to leave. The moment was perfect…so perfect that Lisa couldn't resist the urge to scream "Kodak Moment!" at the top of her lungs. If I had been an anime person, I would have had one of those giant sweat drops on the back of my head. Edward on the other hand just laughed and kissed me once more before hopping in the Volvo and leaving me alone to face the hours of girl-frill filled torture that lay ahead of me.

I sighed as I entered the house and Alice was already blasting 'Single Ladies' on the sound system. Lisa was singing along and dancing with Alice and Rosalie in the middle of the living room as Angela and Steph sat on the couch laughing at the scene before them. Again I was struck by Lisa's outgoing nature; she didn't even notice how graceful Rosalie and Alice were as they danced. I felt so insignificant compared to them. I went to sit with Steph and Angela, but Alice grabbed my arm and dragged me to the dance floor.

"You are _not_ sitting down tonight." She told me over the music.

"Is that a statement or a prediction?" I asked her. She smirked.

"It's an order." She replied. Rosalie then dragged Steph and Angela up from the couch and we all kept dancing for as long as we could. After about an hour we flopped down on the couch laughing hysterically. Rosalie disappeared into the kitchen for a half a second and came back carrying three bottles of champagne and five glasses between her fingers. My smile fell.

"Rose-" I started.

"Oh, come on Bella. It's just a little celebratory champagne." She poured me a glass. "Here, have some." I stared at the glass without touching it.

"Rosalie, if I can't handle caffeine, there is no way in hell that I can handle that stuff." She frowned, annoyed, and put down the glass on the table in front of me and poured everyone else a glass. 'Crap' I thought. I didn't want her to be mad at me again.

"Ooh- yes!" Alice straightened in her chair and clapped her hands together. We all looked at her and she skipped excitedly to the door a half second before the doorbell rang.

She pulled the door open wide and a very buff officer with bleach blonde hair in a cheesy blue uniform walked in. He whispered something to Alice and she nodded, becoming him in with her hand. He looked struck by Rosalie in the chair for a half second before regaining his composure and walking to the center of our group. Two more officers entered, one with a duffle bag, and followed the first one's lead.

"I've had a report tonight about this parties' noise level." The leader said in a deep voice.

"Well what seems to be the problem, officer?" Rosalie asked in an all-too-innocent voice while smirking devilishly at me.

"**It isn't nearly loud enough!" **The second one screamed, pulling a stereo out of the duffle bag. I threw my hands up over my face as he hit play and 'I'm too sexy' started to play. All the girls laughed at me when the dancer started taking off his shirt and came over to give me a lap dance or something. The dancer smiled and laughed with them as they cheered him on.

I didn't want this. I wasn't enjoying this. I didn't think that it was fun or laughable or anything. I just wanted for them all to disappear and I wanted Edward. How could Alice do this to me? She must be losing her mind to do this. I was blushing beat red and I was on the edge of tears; both from anger and embarrassment. Ten seconds later I just couldn't take it. I snapped.

"No!" I screamed, pushing the dancer away from me. Rather than taking the long way and walking around, I jumped over the back of the couch and ran up the stairs to the second story. When I jumped I caught a glimpse of Alice as she stared at me with apologetic eyes. I didn't turn around over even think as I ran into Edward's room and slammed the door behind me. I flopped down on the couch and slapped a hand across my forehead. Where was my boyfriend when I needed him? A moment later there was a soft knock at the door.

"Come in." I said in a normal voice without moving up from my spot. All the party members entered in a quiet line and stood in front of me on the couch. Steph led the procession and Alice ashamedly brought up the rear. Everyone stood there awkwardly in front of me for a full minute, no one knowing exactly what to say.

"We sent the dancers home." Steph said in a small voice. I nodded and the silence continued.

"Okay, I get that you're upset." Rosalie said lightly as she sat down next to me and threw an arm around my shoulders. I was surprised by her instant boldness, but I didn't really mind. "But we kinda figured that you could react like that so, being the wonderful people that we are, we have an entire back-up party that we would now like to put into effect." I spun my head to stare at Rosalie in sheer amazement that she of all people had actually been thoughtful enough to plan a back up party. When I met her eyes, she gave me the kindest smile that I had ever seen from her. "But we can't have a new party if you don't forgive us for the old one." I smiled back and nodded.

An hour later we were singing karaoke. I fully realize that it was weird and immature, but god was it fun. I scared the crap out of my Forks friends when I pulled out the Taylor Swift album and sang 'I'm only me when I'm with you' and I hit every power chord perfectly. They didn't know that I had a hidden talent for singing. We chowed down on popcorn, played truth or dare, and watched every cheesy romance that the Cullens owned. So rather than a bachelorette party…I had a thirteen year old's birthday party. Except I'm sure that a thirteen year old wouldn't get lingerie from all of her friends as presents. I hope Edward knows that I'm never wearing any of that crap.

When the party finally ended around 1 am we sent all of my friends home, but Alice and Rosalie encouraged me to spend the night with them. I could sleep in Edward's room, which was just fine with me. When the door finally closed after Lisa went to her car, I turned to face the two sisters who smiled and stared at me with the puppy dog, overly innocent eyes.

I was soooo not falling for it.

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I apologize for the extremely long delay on this story, but frankly this where the story starts winding down and I want to end it the best way possible. I have a great idea that everyone will (hopefully) love, but to reach that ending I needed to completely change what I initially had planned so I had to write myself out of a very tight corner.

Now that I've finally figured everything out, chapters should be coming more frequently now.


	23. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer**: This time I have to put up a different kind of disclaimer to clear up some confusion with one of my new readers, who I don't think I should name. **I AM NOT BAILEY AKA NO MORE MARBLES**. I am deeply sorry if I did something to imply it, but I am merely one of her fans. I do hope that you continue to read my work and that maybe you can grow to like me for me. I'll place a little info on myself at the bottom.

**Eclipse chapter 22:**

"What?" I asked, eyeing them suspiciously.

"Well, we're going to be heading out soon, so you're gonna be stuck here by yourself until Edward gets back." Rosalie explained. Okay, now I was profoundly confused. Why would they invite me to stay if they were going to be leaving anyway? I paused, hoping that they would explain things a little more clearly, but they both just looked at me, waiting for me to say something.

"Why?" That was the only question I could really think to ask.

"It's our gift to Edward." Alice replied. The pieces fell into place instantly. Jeez, these two were sick minded. I sighed and rolled my eyes at them.

"Good God, guys. You don't honestly think that Edward and I-"

"No, it's not like that!" Alice interrupted. And…we're back to confusion.

"Really?" I asked sarcastically. If 'it's not like that' then why would they want me here ALONE with Edward? I crossed my arms in front of my chest and shifted my weight to one hip. I raised one eyebrow to motion for her to continue. One corner of Alice's mouth pulled down into a crooked frown as she explained.

"Our gift to Edward is silence. With his mind reading, the only way for him to have some quiet would be for him to run until he was completely alone. But you offer him an escape from that. He can't hear your thoughts, so if Rose and I leave, then he'll finally have some silence while being with the one he loves." I dropped my arms and relaxed my stance. Okay, I had been mistaken. Now that I knew the explanation, the idea was very sweet and thoughtful. I would never have thought of something like that.

"Well, I have to run to my house and grab some pjs before Edward get's back; I don't have any here."

"You can't. Edward will be back in twenty minutes and there is no way that you can be back by then." Alice informed me.

"Do you have any sleepwear here that I can borrow?" Rosalie raised any eyebrow at me. "Right." I muttered. Of course, why would you have sleepwear in a house where no one sleeps? I was quickly running out of options.

"Oh, I have an idea!" Rosalie snapped her fingers and disappeared. She reappeared a foot to my left, holding out a black T- shirt that was way too big for me. "It's Edward's." she stated. I took the shirt from her and went to the bathroom to change. I had never realized just how much taller Edward was than me. His shirt sleeves that would just cover his shoulders came to just above my elbows and the hem reached halfway down my thighs. When I stepped out of the bathroom Alice and Rosalie were waiting for me.

"How do I look?" I asked, holding out my arms slightly and looking down at myself. They responded at the exact same time without missing a beat.

"Awful." Alice stated simply.

"Like you've just had sex." Rosalie said with the exact same casual tone. Alice turned to her amused and I stared at her in alarm. "What? She does." She spoke to Alice, not to me. Alice rolled her eyes, annoyed at her sister and grabbed my wrist to lead me to the front door. As we walked she looked me over out of the corner of her eye, grimacing.

"We have GOT to get you some suitable clothes for here." She muttered. I stiffened slightly. This probably meant another shopping day in Seattle where I would be forced to spend countless hours trapped behind dressing room doors. I didn't say a word, but hugged them both silently a half second before they disappeared into the woods. I turned to go back inside, but a cold hand grabbed my arm a second after I turned. It was Rosalie.

"You might want to get some shut eye before Edward gets home." She said, winking, before leaving again. I rolled my eyes and headed back inside. She was right, though; I was tired. Without thinking, I headed upstairs and followed the familiar path to Edward's room. When I opened the door I found a pillow and neatly folded wool blanket waiting for me on the oversized couch. Gratefully I flopped down on the couch and closed my eyes, but my mind kept racing and for some reason or another, it was impossible for me to keep my eyes closed for more than thirty seconds. Frustrated, I got up after a minute and walked to the music wall across from me and turned on the radio. It was set to an oldies station that was much too foreign for me to enjoy, so I messed with the dials until I found a station that I didn't know, but it played familiar music, so I kept with it and lay back down on the couch. To my amazement I fell asleep halfway through the next song.

I awoke when the music turned down to almost silent. I didn't move or open my eyes, but I listened. I heard nothing, but a moment later I felt cold lips against mine in with the slightest of pressure. I opened my eyes as he pulled away and smiled. Edward's eyes met mine and he smiled in return. Neither one of us said a word for none needed to be said. He ran his fingers through my hair and kissed me again. This time I didn't hesitate to respond. I threw my arms around his neck as his wound around my waist. Our lips broke apart for a second to give me time to breathe, but I didn't realse my hold on him.

"Welcome home." I whispered; his lips still just an inch from mine. He smiled.

"How was the party?" He asked innocently. Suddenly the mood was destroyed for me. I sighed, let my arms drop and turned away.

"Alice already told you, didn't she?"

"She filled me in right before she ran out of my hearing zone. This whole place is silent except for you and me." It made me so happy for him to have quiet without being alone, but it saddened me greatly to know that even though it was quiet, he was still in agony from the scent of my blood. I couldn't wait until I was a vampire and his pain could end. He noticed my mixed expression and instantly tried to change the subject to keep my mind from whatever had upset me. "So, what do you want to do?" He asked.

I decided to lighten the mood by twirling my hair with my finger and speaking in the most annoying, nasally voice I could manage. "Well, I thought that maybe we could ,like, cuddle on the couch and like, watch the Princess Bride followed by either, like, The Notebook or A Walk To Remember. Like totally." At that he laughed without reserve. The sounds bounced off the walls of the house to make it all the more joyous and I laughed as well, though mine was much quieter and held in. I pushed myself up into a sitting position on the couch and listened to the music his laughter made. It had been a long time since he had laughed like that.

"What do you want to do?" I asked after he quieted down. He turned to look at me with an eyebrow raised suggestively.

"I have a few ideas." He stated; crawling so that he had me cornered against the sofa.

"Oh, really?" I said with a giggle. I knew I sounded like an idiot, but frankly I didn't mind. I placed my hands lightly on his shoulders and my knees on eighter side of his waist. He looked down at me with an obvious hunger, but then looked confused as he eyed my attire. It was wonderful the first time and it was mind-blowing the second.

I lay comfortably beside him that night, but even though I couldn't feel safer or more at home, sleep still evaded me. I looked at Edward's face for a moment before from where we lay and I still couldn't believe that in two days we would be married. It scared me shitless, but if it would make Edward happy…

Then I would do anything.

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Ok, so as promised, here are some things that you can know about me.  
1. My name is Brooke. I have dark brown hair and eyes that are the same color.  
2. I don't have a YouTube channel yet  
3. For my role in an upcoming parody where I'll be playing Alice, I have my hair cut exactly like her's.  
4. I am inhumanely pale naturally. Always have been.  
5. I don't have my driver's license yet.  
6. I have a novel and a children's story both of which I'm trying to get published  
7. I have had my poetry published. (really depressing, u probably won't like it)

8. I play the flute.  
9. I have met, Stephenie Meyer, Johnny Depp, and Christian Bale.  
10. I speak fluent German

PS. Three more chapters left!


	24. Chapter 23

**Note: I hope you people appreciate what I go through for you. This scene took me five drafts to complete because I couldn't make it just right and I wanted it to be perfect for everyone who cares about these characters as much as I do. I love you all very much and I hope that the wedding lives up to your expectations. **

**Note 2: In response to Noble Korhedron's question; The actors were at Hot Topic at the Mall Of America to promote the Twilight movie with Taylor Lautner, too. P.S "melodramatic" was what I was shooting for; I hope it wasn't too bad. And thanks for the A-. Glad you liked my work.**

**Dedication: this is dedicated to gaby47. It's my favorite chapter and your reviews are probably my favorite to read. Sorry this chapter took so long. **

**Eclipse chapter 23:**

The Wedding.

The day of the wedding I awoke in my own bed alone. I rolled over without opening my eyes and reached out for Edward, but my hand found nothing. I was really starting to hate all of Alice's stupid wedding rules. 'The groom is not allowed to see the bride before the wedding.' Meaning I couldn't see him until this afternoon. I groaned quietly as I opened my eyes to face the day of complete chaos that lay ahead of me. To my surprise, there was a single red rose lying beside me with a note tied to it with a black ribbon. 'Ah, we're going for theatrics today.' I thought to myself, picking up the rose.

I can't wait to be married to you! -Edward

I had to smile as I read this. I still was NOT happy with the idea of being married at eighteen, but if it would make Edward happy, then I was willing to do anything. I really felt like my story was reaching its conclusion; after all that we had been through together, we were finally going to have our happily ever after. And I couldn't have found a better prince. I kissed the note and set it on my bedside table before hopping out of bed and getting dressed. I was sorely tempted to throw on my raggedy sweats and a t-shirt so as to truly appall Alice, but when I got up I saw the beautiful dress that we had gotten in Seattle set out on the chair in the corner with another note attached to it.

I know what you're thinking, but please be nice to Alice today. We don't want her to go any more nuts than she usually is. Please. –Edward

"Fine." I muttered. I grabbed the dress and ran into the bathroom to change. When I came down for Breakfast Charlie was still asleep so I tried not to wake him. I quietly grabbed a bowl of cereal and devoured it in thirty seconds. It was about 6:30, but I was probably going to end up being late with Alice's crazy schedule. She expected me to be at the house by seven thirty, finish arranging the house and making food by nine, then spend three torturous hours in hair and makeup before running to the church and actually getting married. The world came to a complete halt. Getting married…even as the words slid into my mind I couldn't believe that they were real. Everything felt so much like a dream.

Suddenly even the idea of rushing became a distant thought as I crept back up the stairs to brush my teeth. I walked slower now as the words kept replaying in my mind. I entered the bathroom and grabbed my toothbrush and toothpaste, but when I saw my reflection in the mirror I stopped again as I stared at the girl in the mirror. And that was all I saw; a frightened girl. 'What are you doing?' I thought to myself 'This could be the biggest mistake of your life! Call it off while you still can!' My brow furrowed and I glared at my reflection, turning from terrified to defiant. 'Never. Edward loves me and I love him; it doesn't matter that I'm scared because I have a right to be. This is not a mistake, it's not.' After brushing my teeth I nodded once at my reflection before leaving for the stress-filled, pre-wedding hours that lay ahead of me.

I have no idea why they called me. I really don't. When I arrived at the Cullen house Edward was already gone and while Alice and Rosalie were running around like headless chickens, all they let me do was sit on the couch and be useless. I shuffled through the music mix selected for the after party and I loved every song on there, of course. Alice knew everything, so all I did was take up space. That is…until about two hours later when they dragged me upstairs to get ready.

I was literally locked in Alice and Rosalie's bathroom with the Cullen girls and surrounded by every cosmetic ever invented by man. Was I scared; you bet. Rosalie was in charge of hair while Alice handled makeup. They talked quickly and mindlessly to each other about me without once letting me in on the conversation, so I smiled and sat obediently until finally the girls stood back and examined with arms crossed and declaring that I was finished. I stood up quietly and looked at myself in the industrial-sized mirror.

It was almost disgusting how unreal I looked. For the first time, I think, I saw myself as beautiful. The top layer of my hair had been brought back into a bun like Belle in 'Beauty and the Beast' while the second layer fell down my back in waves with small braids mixed into it, there was not one stray hair in the entire mix. And my makeup was just…something else. My eyes were accented with dark mascara and eye liner with pale blue eye shadow to make my eyes pop. Along my cheeks was faint blush that melted into the natural paleness of my skin tone. And my lips were now painted deep red complete with lip-liner and gloss. To top it all off Rosalie had scattered glitter and baby's breath flowers in my hair. I didn't even look like myself anymore, I felt like some long forgotten Ice princess left on some winter night in the snow to be swallowed by time and abandoned by legends. I couldn't move until Alice grabbed me by the arm.

"Edward is going to faint when he sees you." She said delightedly.

"You know he's already seen me by now." I muttered, turning away from the mirror.

"No he hasn't." she said loudly "Edward is over twenty miles away at the church so he couldn't get in my head if he wanted to. Besides, he didn't ruin his own experience so he is spending the day out of EVERYONE'S heads." I stared at her, shocked that she had thought of such a minor detail with all the other things she had been planning. "What? You thought that bugger was gonna slip by me? I'm offended." We all laughed at that before heading to Alice's room to get changed.

I waited for Alice and Rosalie to get into their dresses first as they were much less complicated than mine wouldn't require another person to help get them on. They looked so lovely. The dresses we had picked out for them were knee lengthed deep blue with short sleeves and strapped sandals to match. We had all seen too many dress catastrophies to try anything more risky on the bridesmaids. Though I had no idea why they were so worried; they could wear dishrags and still look completely gorgeous.

I was envious that my dress couldn't be that simple. Of course Alice had insisted upon making the dress herself and though it did fit perfectly, you had to wear it perfectly for it to fit. The train was the longest that I had ever seen in my life and she hadn't wanted quote "a ridiculous poofy marshmallow", she had only had one small underskirt so it was slimming, but my legs were more than likely to get tangled up in it and I would fall flat on my face halfway down the aisle. And of course the Armani three inch heels didn't help my odds at all. The top half of the dress was a little more traditional; a sleeveless corset with a tie in back and a complexly beaded front. But, Alice couldn't leave it at that. No, even though the corset was sleeveless, the dress was not. She had made tight lace sleeves that only came up to my shoulder and were completely separate from the dress. They also covered the back of my hands with a small loop that went around my middle fingers. They were by far the most ridiculous things that I would wear in the whole of my existence. At least that was my hope, but with an eternity with Alice…there was no telling what could happen.

When we had finally finished getting me into the dress we all stood in front of the mirror to see us as a set. I smiled despite myself at the sight of us; not because of how we looked in the clothes, but because of how we looked like a family. Alice had her arm looped in mine and was literally bouncing with excitement and Rosalie had her cold arms wrapped around my shoulders as she smiled at me through the mirror. It was almost time to leave, so I took a deep breathe and turned toward the door.

"Well, wish me lu-" I was going to say 'wish me luck', but Alice cut me off almost immediately.

"Hold up! We're not done quite yet." She motioned to Rosalie who picked up a small box off the dresser.

"Okay, so the ring is something old and the dress is something new….Here we have something borrowed-"

"And something blue." Said Esme, appearing out of nowhere behind me. I jumped a foot in the air and almost landed flap on my butt, but she caught me before I fell. She laughed; she too was holding a box, this one a fair bit larger than the one Rosalie still held. Esme opened her box first and took out a beautiful lace veil that almost all the way to the floor. It was so delicate; it looked as though it could tear at the slightest touch. "I wore this many years ago on my wedding day, and I would be honored if you would wear it at yours." I was so filled with gratitude that for a moment speech was impossible and all I could do was stare.

"Esme, thank you. I-I don't know what to say. I would be honored to wear it." She smiled and carefully pinned it into my hair. As she did, Rosalie stepped forward with her velvet box.

"Something blue." She whispered as she opened it. Inside was the singularly most beautiful necklace that I had ever seen. It was made completely of different sized sapphires that were the purest blue that I had seen. It wasn't gaudy at all, just simple and…divine. She clipped it around my neck before I could say anything and I just stood immobile. All this was just so much to take in; what could I say?

"NOW you're ready." Alice confirmed, nodding with approval. And with that we left the mansion, and traveled to the church on the other side of town.

The church was very old and made of very old, very dark wood which made it very scary and very foreboding from my point of view. (yes those 'very's are there on purpose). To anyone else it would look beautiful, but to me it was the same as stepping into camp crystal lake and finding mangled bodies lying on all the bunks. Actually, I'd have preferred the camp. As we parked the car and walked to the oversized doors, the full weight of what I was about to do fell onto me in waves and suddenly I wanted to just turn around and run, run as far away as possible. But running away from this meant running away from Edward and that I couldn't do. So I gritted my teeth and walked forward with the rest of my procession.

My final bridesmaid, Angela, and my father were waiting for us at the doors. Charlie looked every bit as uncomfortable as I felt. It made me smile to know that I wasn't alone in that feeling. Thankfully I knew that Jasper was Edward's best man, so we would both be feeling better once we got inside. But for the moment being, I was still allowed to be terrified. Angela threw herself into my arms as soon as she was close enough and dissolved into giggles as she stepped back to look me over. I had never seen her like this.

"where exactly is Jasper?" I muttered to Alice.

"Don't blame him, this is ALLL Angela." She whispered back.

"So, how do I look?" I asked Angela.

"Like a bride to be; scarred shitless." I rolled my eyes at the Juno reference and walked past her to my dad, standing awkwardly in front of the doors. I looped my arm in his wordlessly and we all got in formation, as if for a military march. One by one my friends entered the church at their designated times until it was just me and my dad.

"Umm, you look really great today kiddo." He said, clearing his throat. I smiled and stood on my tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek.

"I love you Daddy." I whispered. He blushed. Once again sadness overtook me. Would this be the last time that I got to see him? How was he going to react when I disappeared without a word? How badly would I have to hurt him for this all to be over? Could I stay back and watch over him from the shadows? Would he have to die without ever knowing what became of me? I didn't want to say goodbye.

The wedding march began to play and I would have to leave my sad, brooding questions until later; the curtain was up and it was showtime. In my heart I knew that no matter the answer to my questions, the outcome would be the same. I would marry Edward, and I would become a vampire in order to be with him. My heart had chosen without even consulting me and I would suffer the consequences, but I would find a way to live with them. I had to because Edward was the only thing that mattered to me anymore.

And there he was, standing proudly beside Carlisle, waiting for me. I blushed as I watched his reaction to me in the dress. His mouth hung open a little bit and his looked absolutely dumbstruck. Then his eyes met mine and I smiled. The gold melted my heart every time and they were so euphoric, so filled with compassion for me, that I could honestly say that I had never loved him more than at that moment. My world drifted away then and it was only me and him. Every second I got closer to him and the church didn't scare me anymore; nothing did. Charlie ceremoniously gave Edward my hand and we walked to the alter together. THIS was where I belonged, right beside Edward, forever.

"I, Edward Anthony Mason Cullen, take thee, Isabella Marie Swan, to be my lawfully wedded wife."

"I, Isabella Marie Swan, take thee, Edward Anthony Mason Cullen, to be my lawfully wedded husband."

"-to have and to hold-"

"-for better or for worse-"

"-for richer, for poorer-"

"-in sickness and in health-"

"-to love and to cherish-"

"-from this day forward-"

"-until death do us part."

I hope I did this well for you guys. This is exactly how I thought their wedding should be, but it's not over yet; still to more chapters to go. Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out, but I needed to make it perfect.

Stay tuned for the next chapter, there's still one more twist.


	25. Chapter 24

**Note: this chapter has to be dedicated to my sister and new brother In law who just got married last week and I was so cool that I got them a book. **

**Eclipse chapter 24**

"Did we really just do that?" I asked Edward as we rode in his Volvo to the reception.

"We certainly did, _Mrs. Cullen_." He replied with a grin. He was feeling smug, I could tell. Normally I would be tempted to say something smart to bring him down a level, but as I looked at him I felt no such desire. He was completely happy; there was no hint of inhibitions or sadness or anger or worry. There was simply…Edward. I was officially a married woman. I looked forward again and shook my head in disbelief and laughed.

When we finally made it up the long driveway to the Cullen, there was a full crowd waiting to greet us with all of my in laws in the front waving and smiling. So many people…I could feel the sudden rush of fear choking me and making my heart beat faster. I was sure to be trampled within thirty seconds. I gulped.

"You'll be fine, I promise." Edward whispered to me, gently squeezing my hand.

"And you _still_ claim that you can't read my mind?" He smirked before climbing out of the car and getting my door for me. I smiled at the waiting crowd, absolutely scared shitless, and glanced around waiting for them to do something. And they all smiled at Edward and me…waiting for us to do something. We all stood there for a good 2 seconds when Edward, always knowing exactly what to do, grabbed me around the waist, pulling me into a dip and kissed me on the mouth. When he let me back up I put a hand on my forehead only slightly frazzled and tried to regain my balance. There were many whoops and laughs from the crowd and I saw several cameras flash as the tension instantly released and we were rushed by our friends.

I tried to pay attention to the different people who hugged me and offered good wishes and congratulations, but everything seemed to be spinning in a swirling mass of color and sound and by the end the only people I could remember even seeing were my parents and the Cullen girls. I wasn't even sure if Esme had been there…

Let's just say that I was thankful when it was over.

So after the preliminaries the real party began. The buffet table was set and most people were all gathered in little mingling groups carrying plates and glasses piled high with culinary delights created by Esme Cullen herself. She must have prepared enough to feed an army, but I tried to stay as far away from it as possible so as not to ruin the insane garment that I was still required to wear for the next several hours. I hadn't gotten tangled up in it yet, but it was bound to happen at some point and I would be on edge until that moment happened. Frankly as I walked around I felt like I was in a fancier version of 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding', except without actually being Greek. So it was more like 'My Big Fat Vampire Wedding', or maybe 'My Big Fat Lets-see-how-many-ways-Bella-can-get-herself -killed Wedding'. Yeah, that worked.

It wasn't quite time for the dreaded dancing to begin yet so Edward and I spent our time drifting between the different groups of conversation and mingling. We were in the middle of a discussion circle with Angela, Ben, Mike, and Jessica, talking about plans for college when Edward suddenly froze completely. His arm tightened around my waist to the point that he was hurting me and I knew that something was _very _wrong.

"I just remembered, I have to ask Alice something." He said to our friends, instantly changing his face into a mask of indifference. "Please excuse us." And with that he began towing me to the other side of the yard where Alice, Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper were all standing in a tight, joyous circle. They didn't notice us at first as we walked purposefully toward them, Edward taking long, fast strides and dragging me, half-stumbling, along. Jasper was the first to spot us and his face fell when he saw Edward's expression and he told the others to make space for us.

"Alice" he muttered angrily as we reached them, "Didn't you _see_ anything?" He pulled me tighter against him and I grimaced. Rosalie noticed.

"Geez, man, what do you think you're doing?!" She chided, pulling his hand off of my waist and bringing me a few steps away from him. She examined the fabric of the corset and there were a few dents where Edward's fingers had been. "You're going to have some nasty bruises after that." She said quietly to me. I frowned a little and looked at Edward, but he was already whispering to Alice so quickly that there was no way that I could discern even a syllable of what they were saying. Instead I decided to busy myself by looking around the crowd and trying to make it look as though nothing was wrong.

That's when I saw him, standing across the crowd watching me. So that's what Edward had been so worried about. Jacob Black stood stone still with his mouth a hard line. He was clearly uncomfortable and by the look of it, slightly scared. His near black eyes met mine and we were just locked in this stare…and then for the first time in so long I saw him again for who I knew he was, and not what he seemed to have become. The pain and anger in his face had diminished and he was my Jake again. My best friend. He started walking towards me and with out really meaning to, I did the same. Edward was either to distracted to notice, or too shocked to react, but either way no one stopped me as I stepped carefully to Jake and we met somewhere in the middle.

"Hey". He said. I didn't say anything. "Can we talk?" He asked, growing more nervous by the second. I just nodded and led him off to the house so that we could talk without risking everyone overhearing. When we reached the building I turned to him with arms crossed and he waited for me to say something, but I wasn't about to, so we just stood there for a moment.

"Can you forgive me?" He begged, staring straight into my eyes.

"No." I said simply. I couldn't. He sighed and looked down, ready to leave. "But I _can_ try." I added, my voice shaking slightly. His eyes shot up to mine and he smiled. I took a deep breath and released it before I continued. "I can't forgive you for what you did, or more so what you tried to do. It's not that easy. You're my best friend and I want to, but forgiveness takes time; time that we don't have. Because I want to become a vampire and if you're still dead set against that-"

"That's why I'm here." He exclaimed, interrupting me, "I've brought something for you; a peace offering." He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a sheet of paper and a pen which he handed to me.

"What the heck is this?" I asked, looking at the highlighted areas and the four dotted lines at the bottom of the page, one of which was signed by Jacob and one by Sam.

"It's your choice, just on paper. This is a document that, if signed by you, the Vamp turning you, the Werewolf who offered this to you, and the Leader of the pack at the time of turning, will make you a legal exception to the 'no bite' treaty and you can stay in Forks as long as you want. So like I said…a peace offering." I read through the paper and it was exactly what Jake said it was. So if we all signed this, I could be turned and put no more risk of anything. I read through it one more time, euphoric, when I noticed a problem.

"This doesn't say what happens if he kills me." I looked at Jake who looked down and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well, that's the thing…we still aren't really willing to sway on that. If _He _kills you…let's just say that there's going to be a little issue." I narrowed my eyes at him.

"'Issue' meaning that if I die, then this contract is void and you have full rights to kill him? So this doesn't protect Edward at all! Either we both live or we both die!" I lifted the paper slightly to toss it on the ground, but a hand grabbed me by the wrist before I could do so.

"Not that it would end differently under other circumstances." Edward said. He let go of my wrist and gently took the paper and pen from my hand. Using the house to write on, he signed it without hesitation and handed it back to me. I looked up at him with fear obvious in my face, but his mouth remained a hard line. "This better than anything we could have asked for." He muttered to me, then turned back to Jacob "Thank you." He said, extending his hand. Jake stared at it for a moment and Edward took his hand back and walked away. I turned back to Jake with the same scared look that I had given Edward.

"I won't let anything happen to him. I swear." I was close to crying, but I held it down and using my knee as a desk, I signed on the dotted line 'Isabella Marie Cullen'. The name was messy and the penmanship poor, but still the name looked right to my eyes. I handed the paper back to Jacob who stowed it in his jacket and turned to leave. I watched his back and felt my heart ripping up inside me. What if this was the last time I'd see him? Was this what I wanted his opinion of me to be?

"Jake?" I called. He turned slowly and I ran to him, throwing my arms around his waist and pressing my face into his chest. He wrapped his arms tightly around me in a bear hug and he pressed his cheek on the top of my head. I could smell the pine in his clothes; the scent was comforting and so familiar. It was the scent that had helped save me from when Edward had left me. "I missed you." I whispered for his ears only.

"Yeah I missed you too." We let go of each other and he smiled at me; a REAL smile.

"Please stay for the party." I begged. He just nodded and we walked back to the party together. Edward stood next to the dance floor waiting for me with a slightly smug smirk. Jacob walked right up to him and handed me off.

"I believe You'll take it from here?" Jake asked Edward and extended his hand. Edward shook it and nodded his head, both men smiling.

"Hey," I said to Jake, "You know my friend Lisa is over by the buffet table and I know that she would just _love_ to meet you." His head turned inquisitively to Lisa and I know the look that I saw. And when she looked back, she looked shocked, and yet drawn to him. Yes, you can all sing Halleluiah because Jake just imprinted on Lisa and now I can keep at least one human friend in my life after the change because she's going to have to find out sooner or later, right?

The rest of the night was spent dancing and laughing and toasting until all the humans were ready to fall over. I didn't trip on the dance floor because I think that Edward may actually be stronger than the force of gravity, and I really felt like I got a proper goodbye to everyone. So when the final dance ended and the last of the guests left, I couldn't have been more ready to go inside with the man I loved and get turned into a vampire.

So why then did my heart race leap with every step that we took upstairs to his room where we'd decided to actually do the change? If I was ready, why was I second guessing myself? When we reached the room I told Edward that I had to get out of my ridiculous wedding dress before I could do anything else. He helped me take off the sleeves and loosened the many ties before I ran to his closet and changed into a strapless green dress with white flowers that Alice had left for me. It took me a good fifteen minutes to get changed fully before I padded out barefoot into the room where Edward was sitting on the couch. His jacket and vest lay on the ground, his tie was loose, and he wasn't wearing shoes or socks. He would only stare at the ground, lost deep in thought, and refused to notice anything in the world around him. He was every bit as scared as I was, and I knew that we were both afraid of the same thing; of losing each other.

The dead silence in the room was maddening, so I walked over to the radio and turned it on. Bonnie Tyler was singing a heartbreaking song that I knew all too well. -_Cause tonight, Forever's gonna start Tonight! Once upon a time there was light in my life, now there's only love in the dar-_ I flinched and turned the dial until I found the next station. Some metal girls were rocking the drums _-Silent pain. Then he slowly saw their nightmares were his dreams. Monster, how should I feel? Creatures lie- _I spun the dial quickly to the next song _–Though I've died to know you love me, I'm all alone. Isn't some-._ That was it. I punched the 'off' button. "You have got to be kidding me." I muttered.

Edward's quiet laugh made me turn back to the couch. "Is the radio giving me problems?" He asked jokingly. I walked over and sat beside him on the couch facing him.

"I say that we throw it out the window." I replied with a frown. He laughed again, but his eyes were pained. He brushed my hair back, revealing my neck. I shivered at his touch, fear rising slightly in my stomach. He rested one hand on the right side of my neck and gently leaned in so that his lips brushed against the left side.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" He asked me, his voice scarcely audible as his cold breath beat against where my neck met my shoulder. His voice was shaking and I almost said 'no, I won't do this if it'll hurt you.' But I knew him well enough that if we didn't do this now, then we never would. And the Volturi would come down on us and my whole family would be destroyed. I couldn't let that happened.

So instead I closed my eyes and turned my face towards his. "Yes" I whispered. Edward brought his face up and stared in my eyes, searching for something. "Yes" I said again. The look in his face told me that if it were possible for him to cry, he would. But he didn't cry, he just brought his lips to mine and kissed me for an eternity. At least that's what I wished for, but too soon his lips moved to jaw, my neck, down to the spot where I felt his sweet kiss become razor wire.

I had to fight down my instincts to thrash and scream and push him away from me. He wasn't a monster, he was Edward; _my_ Edward, and he wouldn't let anything happen to me. So rather than fight him I pulled myself closer to him, my right hand clutching to the back of his shirt and the other knotting in his hair. All of my muscles tightened, begging me to defend myself, to scream out against the pain, or just acknowledge the pain's existence. But I defied my body; I didn't scream. All I did was cry and wait for the moment when Edward would pull his teeth from me and hold me and let me know that everything was going to be okay.

But that moment never came.

They say that the moment before you die your whole life flashes before your eyes and that your final words are everything that you always wanted to say. All I saw was Edward. I knew that I was going to die; I knew that he was the reason behind it, but it didn't matter to me. I wasn't angry, I wasn't scared, I was just sad. I wasn't ready to go yet. I mean, I had wanted so much more from life and to just have it end was…

But I think that the part about your final words was right, because even as my world was starting to go dark I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I leaned close to Edward ear and I whispered with the only strength that I had left

"I love you."

**Edward's POV: **

I felt the brush of Bella's whispered words against my consciousness and instantly the red veil that had blinded me with blood fell away. I retracted my teeth from her skin and loosened the iron grip I had on her body which fell limply away. There were no screams of agony or thrashing that would accompany the change, there was just silence. The ancient sound of the dead. Her formerly rosy cheeks were now a pasty white and all color had drained from her lips. Her closed eyes were a dark sunken purple and there was no pulse, no breath, or any sign of life. I had killed her.

In absolute horror at my self, I brushed my hand along her cheekbone, but it was cold. There was no hint of the blush that I loved, she didn't respond to my touch.

"Dear God, what have I done?" I whispered, to no one but myself. After all that I had put her through, all the dangers that we had endured, together, could this really be how it ended? I ran through my mind to try to find a way to reverse this, to save her, but I had no more power anymore. The one who held Bella's fate now was God.

God? Was there a God? Would he let an angel of his fall to earth to be taken in by a Vampire? Was this his desired punishment on me for what I am? And if so, why did _She_ have to be the one to suffer for my mistakes? _Why?!_

The anger inside of me boiled in the pit of my stomach, but I knew that it would do me no good. If I wanted to save her, I would have to bargain, beg, and plead with God in any and every way I could and hope that he could have mercy on a monster.

"Alright, we'll do this your way." And then for the first time in nearly a hundred years, I shifted my love in my arms, adjusted her head against my shoulder, and I prayed. "God, don't do this. You can't do this. You can't take her from me. She is the only thing that will ever ask for from you; let me have her and I shall never want again. I've been through purgatory, I've been through hell, and in the end she was _still there_ waiting for me. And now you say that I cannot have her because a monster like me doesn't deserve love? Well if that's what you believe, then I defy you, God! I defy you because I have loved and I have been loved _by her_! And I know that that is greater than anything that you can throw at us. So don't take her from me, not now. Please."

I stopped and looked back down at her body still lying in my arms, still pale and silent. The bite mark on her neck still remained adding a haunting red to her otherwise white skin. It didn't fit, so reluctantly I licked lightly at the wound to make it heal, but it would not. Vampire venom could not heal a dead body. I gently shifted her weight in my arms so that I could bring her face close to mine and I whispered a single sentence into her ear. "Please, Bella, come back." I laid my hand over her heart.

Then from somewhere in the room a breeze materialized, blowing the scent of vanilla, wildflowers, and freesia around me. I breathed deep, and sighed. Then from beside my words I heard Bella's voice again.

"This is _my_ choice." She whispered. I thought that meant defeat, but just as I was about to surrender and release her from my hold, I felt the slightest of movement beneath my fingertips from the most miraculous and beautiful thing in the world, Bella's heartbeat.

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I hope that you all aren't too mad at me for taking six? Seven? Months to write this. But I promised myself that I wouldn't right it until after my sister, Emily, got married. (That was last week). Now there's only one more chapter and then I'll have to say goodbye to this piece of literature and likely all of you. I've got three novels of my own that I'm trying to write and I doubt that I'll have much time for fanfictions. I'm very sad about that, but this has helped me so much and all of your reveiws have given me so much confidence in myself and my writing that I just want to thank you. And if you deserve a special shout out you know who you are and and extra special thank you to you. I love you guys!

Oh! And in case you're curious, these are the three songs I mentioned in chronilogical order

1. Total Eclipse of the Heart- Bonnie Tyler

2. Monster- Meg and Dia

3. Missing- Evanescence


	26. Chapter 25

Eclipse chapter 25:

I regained consciousness in a burst of fire under my skin that was over before I could even open my mouth to scream. I squeezed my eyes more tightly shut to try to remember what had happened to me and where exactly I was, but my mind seemed to be shielded against me; I couldn't remember anything that had happened after I had been bitten. I could feel that I was drenched in sweat that made me feel as though I was sticking to the leather of Edward's couch…

Edward! I had nearly forgotten, after he bit I died and then I had seen my body…and there was someone else who hadn't been there before. She had stood on the other side of the couch looking at Edward holding my body that no longer bore me and then at myself. I hadn't fully understood until she looked at me and I saw the incredible shade of blue of her eyes. The woman was dead, which meant I was too. I remember clasping my hands over my mouth and collapsing to my knees as muffled cries ripped from my soul. I couldn't believe this, I refused to. Maybe if I didn't believe, then it wouldn't be true and I would wake up in Edward's arms again with nothing more than a frightening nightmare. It had to be a nightmare…because we couldn't just end. No ceremony, no goodbyes…it was just over.

"You are in quite the extraordinary situation, Mrs. Cullen." The lady said, stepping around the couch to stand between Edward and me. She wasn't dressed how I had expected a dead woman to look. She wore faded blue jeans and a white tank top accessorized with a gold key necklace and a leather wristband on her right arm with a peace symbol on it. She had skin as pale Edward's and her features were every bit as flawless. Her mass of frizzy blonde hair was pulled into a low ponytail and it seemed to reflect its own light. But her face was all business. She looked down upon me, in this room filled with pain, without any pity or compassion. She was here for a reason, for her job, and she couldn't care less about me.

"This is because I loved him, isn't it?" I accused, still weeping. "No one can be that happy without having to pay some horrid price."

"No, Bella." She replied. I waited for her to continue, but she remained silent.

"Then why?" I prompted, angry now.

"'Why' doesn't matter now." She stopped again and turned her head to look at Edward.

"Then what does?!" I demanded, standing up.

"Your choice." She said simply looking back at me, her face still stone. Her nonchalant tone and expression made me angrier than before and I felt my face growing hot. It was like talking to a robot! She would only reply when asked a specific question and she refused to elaborate.

"What choice?" I spat through clenched teeth.

"He's praying for you. He wants you. So you have the rare opportunity of a choice. You may either remain here with Edward or-"

"Edward." I answered, interrupting. I didn't even care what the other option was. If I could stay with him, I would without a second thought. And I would never regret it.

"_**Or**_, you may go to heaven with myself. It is your decision."

"Why would I choose anything besides Edward?" I asked, smiling slightly. The concept seemed impossible to me.

"Well If _**I**_ were you, I would at least consider the other option. A lifetime of darkness or an eternity in paradise, which do you really want? Is some guy really worth giving up heaven for?" She raised an eyebrow at me and I paused a moment. I turned my face away from her not to think, really…but to remember.

_You are my life now. You are the most important thing to me ever. Enough for forever. So the lion fell in love with the lamb. Be Safe. Mind over matter…_

"Please, Bella, come back." Edward whispered.

That was the only motivation I needed. Without hesitation, I walked around the dead woman and laid a hand cautiously on his shoulder.

"This is _my_ choice." I answered the woman without looking away from Edward.

After a moment I glanced back at her, and her face was entirely different. Her eyes were soft now and she was smiling at me with an air of compassion and …loss? She stepped forward and took my chin in one hand, coaxing my face upward to see her eyes.

"You are not damned, Bella, for what you are or what you have chosen to become. None of you are. Remember that."

And that was the last thing that I remembered before waking up in Edward's room days later. I peeled back my eyelids and looked around the bright room with my new vampire eyes. Everything was so defined, and the sun only added to the details that I saw as I looked around the room, like a child after they move to a place completely new to them. I tried to absorb everything at once and I found I was actually process all the new information entering my brain and at the same time, I could search for Edward.

He sat against the window pane, my sparkling angel in the sun. He was lost in thought and didn't notice that I was awake on the couch; he just stared deep into the woods. He looked tired (I know that he doesn't sleep, but he still looked drawn). He was still wearing his suit from the wedding. He probably hadn't moved from his position by the window for the past three days. I felt incredibly guilty, but I didn't want to move just yet. With my new sight it was as if I had never seen him before.

"I love you." I said quietly. Edward's face shot up at the sound of my voice and he was at my side a fraction of a second. His face was a mixture of utter shock and relief as he took me into his arms. He buried his face in my hair and pressed me against him. I smiled a little to myself and wrapped my arms around his neck. I kissed his shoulder and stroked his bronze hair, trying to calm him. "I love you." I said again.

He pushed away from me slightly and brushed the hair out of my eyes so that he could stare into my face in disbelief. "I thought I'd lost you." He murmured his voice barely audible.

"You will never lose me." I promised. There was no way that he could doubt the conviction in my voice. He smiled shakily and stroked my face. He kissed my forehead before helping me to my feet. I clung to his arms for support as my legs still felt a little unstable, but I soon recovered myself and I released him reluctantly.

"Where are the others?" I asked.

"They went to stay in Seattle for a while, but if I know Alice they'll be here in a few minutes."

Actually it turned out to be a few seconds. Almost exactly after he'd finished his sentence, I heard the car heading up the driveway. From the sound of the tires, they must have been moving up the road at at LEAST 80 miles per hour. The tires screeched to a stop in front of the house and I heard someone burst through the door.

"Bella!!!!" She yelled loud as she could. I looked at the door and then back to Edward; I didn't want to move quite yet. I wasn't even sure if I should go to Alice, or if I should wait and let her come to us. Edward stroked my face with the back of his hand one more time before taking my hand in his and leading me downstairs.

I hadn't even reached the top of the stairs before I was locked into Alice's embrace. She slammed into me hard enough to take down a wall, but I found that I was barely shook. Her choke hold around my neck would have killed me in less than a second three days ago, but it felt normal to me now and her arms-her arms were warm to my skin.

"It's good to see you too, Alice" I said, patting her back twice. This was the generally accepted 'end hug' symbol, but she didn't budge. I tried again. Still no result, just a vampire midget clinging to my as if for dear life. "Okay, Alice, really." I reached my hands behind me and (gently) pried her fingers loose.

She took a step back and looked at me with pride and sheer adoration. I smiled back timidly, not really used to getting such approval from her. Rosalie and the others reached the top of the stairs at that time and was passed around, hugging each, before I was returned to Edward who wrapped his arm protectively around my waist. I was feeling more like a toy than a human, but hey, whatcha gonna do?

"SO, what'd I miss?" I asked the circle. They looked uncertainly at each other before all eyes turned to Edward. Okay…so I'd missed a lot. I turned my face to him as well. He took a deep breath but said nothing.

"Well?" I prompted. He opened his mouth to reply, but then shut it again as he couldn't figure out how to phrase his thoughts.

"Just spit it out, Edward." I said.

"You two are dead." Rosalie blurted from across the hall. I stared at her with blank incomprehension.

"Yeah…and? I'd kinda already assessed the 'dead' concept."

"No, not that!" She backtracked, waving her hands in front of her to cancel out what she had said. She interlocked her fingers and pressed her hands to her lips as she thought of how to say whatever it was correctly.

"Okay." She said starting over. She took two steps forward so that she stood directly in front of me. She dropped her hands back down to her sides and stared me directly in the eyes. "Charlie and all the others think that you're _human_ and you're dead. Your and Edward's funeral is next week. They thought that a joint service would be best."

I felt like someone had slapped me across the face with enough force to knock me over. Charlie thought I was dead? I mean, I knew we were going to have to come up with something at some point, but so soon? He had just seen me get married and now he'd lost me. I didn't even get to send him a letter from some far off place telling him how much I loved him. I didn't get to say goodbye. I nodded once stiffly and Rosalie backed up a few paces. My lip quivered and I tried desperately to stay upright, but my knees gave out from my and I collapsed. Edward caught me before I hit the floor and I clung to his shoulder and wept.

Wait…wept? I brought my fingers up to my face and sure enough when I pulled them away, they were wet with tears. I loosed my hold on Edward and leaned back from him slightly. Everyone's eyes grew wide as they looked at me and Edward's hand passed across my cheek. Apparently my face was red from crying.

After that the Cullens and I (well technically I was a Cullen at this point) spent about three hours trying to figure out what else I could do. But that time period was so epically boring for anyone observing that I will not torture you by describing it in detail. Instead I will simply depict what we discovered. Firstly this: That even though I was a vampire and could not be injured or die, I still maintained human qualities like blushing and crying and I would never thirst for blood (though I still needed it to survive). Secondly we found my very complex vampiric ability. My mental shield could be lifted or extended at will and I had control over other vampire's powers which I could do with what I pleased. I could borrow another vamp's powers or give them (temporarily) to another vampire within a certain distance. I could also remove someone else's powers from them for a little over an hour without doing anything with said power. This required a lot of strength and concentration, but it was a lot of fun to mess around with (though Carlisle scolded me for doing so). This proved to be a happy compromise for Edward and me; now he could read my mind, but only when I wanted him to. And whenever his gif caused him…vexation…I could shield him from the thoughts around him. We were all very happy.

And that's the way it continued to be, for a while anyway. But eventually, problems did arise. When Lisa and Jake started getting serious, she discovered his secret and mine along with it. She met me again for the first time about a year after my supposed death. She was furious that I had done that, beside herself with grief that I hadn't told her, and euphoric that I hadn't died and she could hold me again and I could cry with her. After that first meeting she had given me 5 separate long lectures and at the end she made me visit my father. She knew that I couldn't let him know everything, but she insisted that I talked to him, even if he had to think it was an illusion. He hadn't been the same since my death, she'd told.

This, of course, I already knew. Edward had warned me of the dangers of staying too close to Charlie, but I couldn't help myself. Almost everyday I had gone to my old house and watched my father grieve and everyday that I went I just wanted to burst out of the woods and hug him and tell him that everything was okay. But I couldn't; I just kept watch over him. When he had gotten in a car crash about six months ago, he didn't know that I had been the one who had pulled him, unconscious, from the cruiser and phoned the ambulance. He couldn't know.

And he couldn't now either. So when I went to my house that night at midnight with Lisa standing beside me, I knew the rules. I would have to lie; tell him I WAS dead and in heaven and that I missed him and I was with Edward and I was happy. And that I loved him. Above all else, that I loved him.

Lisa walked right past the front door and stood with her arms crossed beside the big oak tree that stood in the front yard by my old window that led to my old room, my old life. I lagged a few steps behind her and she tapped her foot with impatience. When I reached her she raised one eyebrow at my and pointed up at my window. I opened my mouth to make a final protest-

"Go." She ordered. I shut my mouth again and wordlessly leaped up the tree and slid open my bedroom window. I looked around me and stopped. Everything in my room-everything- was exactly as I'd left it. The computer sat idle on the desk, my bed was made, and my copy of Jane Austen's Complete Works sat on the nightstand. I walked silently over to it and stroked my finger once along the binding. I smiled sadly at the familiar feel of the broken fabric binding.

Charlie snored in the next room and broke me out of my dreamland. My head snapped up in alarm at the sound and I knocked the book off the table. I caught it a second before it hit the ground and I sighed in relief and placed the book back carefully. Then I straightened my back and walked boldly, but stealthily, into Charlie's room.

I sat down on the edge of the bed beside Charlie and looked at my sleeping father. Ha had aged so much in the past year. I had aged him…The guilt of what I had done and of what I was about to do crushed my heart inside of me, but like Edward had said to me countless times before "This was the best way." I straightened the white cloth of the dress I was wearing (to further convince him of the lie) and cleared my throat, hoping the sound would wake him. No response. I coughed loudly. No response. With a roll of my eyes I leaned over and shook his arm gently and whispered "Dad? Dad?" until he sat bolt upright in bed and stared at me like I was the ghost of Christmas yet to come.

"Hey, Dad." I said, smiling slightly. His breathing was hard and labored and I could hear his pulse accelerating. He didn't blink. My smile faded as my expression turned to worry. I didn't want him to have a heart attack or nervous breakdown because of this. After a second his pulse slowed and he looked me up and down a few times. Then with a shaky hand he reached out and laid his hand on the side of my face in wonderment. I smiled again and leaned into his touch as one tear of joy ran down my face.

"Bella?" He asked in disbelief. He ran his hand through my hair once, checking to see if the rest of me was real too.

"Hi." I replied. I didn't have a chance to say anything more as he threw his arms around me and patted my head as he cried and muttered "My baby girl. My baby girl." Over and over. After an hour he let me go and just kept watching my face as I smiled.

"I missed you." He said.

"I missed you too, dad."

"But…How're you-"

"I'm not. I just thought that I was long overdue for a visit." I saw the disappointment in his face when he realized that I wasn't still alive and home to stay.

"How long will you be here?"

"I figured about until sunrise." His eyes grew wide with alarm.

"No, you can't go. Not just like that. Will I never get to see you again? You just disappear with the sun and that's it?"

"No! No, not like that at all." I assured hurriedly, patting his hands to comfort him. "I'll come back. I promise! I can only stay for the night this time, but I'll be back again. This isn't just a one time deal. You won't lose me forever." He clutched my hands in his and looked at them as he spoke.

"I thought I already had." He said in little more than a whisper. "Doesn't death mean forever? No going back." I stayed silent. How could I ever answer to that? "Your hands are cold." He added as an off-comment.

"They tend to be nowadays." I said with a nervous laugh, pulling my hands away.

I was careful after that and I stayed talking with Charlie for the entire night. In the morning I left using my vampire speed so it appeared to him that I departed with the first touch of daylight. The next morning I stayed and watched from the woods as he left for work and he had a smile on his face for the first time in recent memory. After that I stopped at Charlie's once every month or as needed, as well as the holidays that he had to spend alone, like Christmas Eve. Sometimes Edward came with me. And gradually Charlie moved on until he didn't need my night time visits anymore. He was learning to let me go. I told him on my last visit that he wouldn't be seeing me anymore, though I would always be watching him. He seemed sad, but the next day he went to the graveyard and laid my favorite flowers on my grave. He sighed and looked up at the sky with a resolute nod and he walked away. I didn't see him again after that. But I always had Alice keep a close eye on him.

Edward and I live and love to this day. We've never lived apart from each other, though occasionally we do branch off from the other Cullens and live on our own as a married couple (Rosalie gave us the idea). I never have a day where I don't smile or where I regret what I chose, because I know in my heart that this was the fate that I was chosen to have. I watch over the ones I love and their descendants and I help them whenever the opportunity presents itself. Like giving Muses to Steph in dreams whenever she hits a dry spot in her writing. And I always learn every day, which I hope you all will too. So let me tell you the most important lesson that I have learned before I say goodbye.

Happily Ever After…is only the beginning.

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Well…that's it guys. It's finally finished. Thank you all for staying with me and actually spending the time to actually read my writings. I owe you all so much. I spent a month staring at this chapter and not publishing it just because I didn't want it to end.

And I know that this sounds so weird coming from me because I've never met you, spoken to you, or anything, but I love you all so much because you all gave me a reason for self betterment. And now I think I have the confidence to write my own work rather than feed off another author's ideas. Thank you and goodbye.


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